Taken from: http://lifestyle.sympatico.msn.ca/KidsSafety/Articles/NEWContentPosting_Trans?newsitemid=10831&feedname=SICK-KIDS&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=False



Parents have more influence on their teen children's sexual behaviour than they might believe

Parents have more influence on their children’s sexual behaviours than movie stars and popular culture. That is one of the unexpected findings of a new Canadian survey examining sexual health in teens.

“The disconnect between parents and teens about the influence parents have on their kids is surprising,” says Dr. Miriam Kaufman, co-author of the report. Seventy-five percent of parents believed their teenagers’ friends strongly influenced their children’s sexual lives. “Mothers thought that musicians and actors were role models around sex,” she adds. The reality is that 45% of teens surveyed said it was their parents who were their role models.

Sex and sexual health: A survey of Canadian youth and mothers, targeted mothers and teens because past research shows mothers in general speak more freely with their teens about sex. “I don’t think that women think it’s more important than men do, it’s more because mothers seem more apt than dads to engage their children around the discussion of sexual issues,” explained Dr. Kaufman.

Kaufman, an adolescent medicine specialist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, believes parents should take advantage of their influence over their teenage children’s behaviour.


Talking About Sex

“Start talking to your children about sex when they are young, before sex becomes an emotionally charged topic.” Kaufman advises parents to use opportunities that arise in everyday life, such as a television show you see with your child, or seeing a condom in the grass as you walk with your child through a park, to initiate discussions about sex. “Waiting until your child is sexually active is usually too late to establish a comfortable discussion,” says Dr. Kaufman. “A great time to talk with your teen about sex is in the car; there’s no eye contact, and there’s nothing else to do.”

Dr. Kaufman was encouraged that 74% of mothers reported that sex education in school is a launch point for discussions about sexuality at home, but was of the opinion that sex education at school needs improvement. Leaving it up to teachers is not good enough: sex education in schools should incorporate public health nurses for well-rounded presentations.


Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Though the survey found 76% of teens reported using a condom the last time they had sex, the data also revealed certain misunderstandings about sexually transmitted disease. Teens confuse the message of protecting themselves against one of the most deadly infections, AIDS or HIV, with one of the most common infections, human papilloma virus (HPV). When asked, teens said the most common infection was HIV.

The development of a new vaccine that can protect women against HPV has triggered a debate in some circles. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which reports to the Public Health Agency of Canada, recommends all girls and women between 9 and 26 years of age receive the HPV vaccine. Some parents object, saying the vaccination will send the wrong message. “Getting kids protected against HPV isn’t the same as giving them permission to be sexually active,” Kaufman says. “This is a very common virus; it can lurk for a long time.”

The Canadian Cancer Society says by age 50, one in every two women will have an HPV infection. The virus is the most prevalent STD in Canada, and the cause of the second most common cancer in women worldwide. Kaufman says even men and women who have been monogamous their whole lives can become exposed to the virus in mid-life through divorce and ‘starting over.’


Less Sexually Active Than People Might Believe

Despite the impression a parent may receive from popular media about the frequency of teen sexual activity, the survey found that only 27% of children are sexually active by age 15. That number rises to about 50% by age 18. “Not every kid is having intercourse and kids need to know that,” says Kaufman. When you do have discussions about sex with your children, Kaufman suggests there should be more discussion on relationships and negotiation, and the differences between good and not-so-good reasons to have sex.