At a glance
- Parents should talk with their teens about preventing unintended pregnancies, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- Options parents can discuss include: not having sex, and using condoms and other methods of birth control.
- Parents can make sure their adolescent gets regular access to quality health care.
Why it's important
Parents play an important role in helping adolescents become healthy and happy adults.
Parents are a trusted source of health information. As such, they can help prepare adolescents for developing healthy relationships and navigating challenges.
To help reduce unhealthy behaviors, talk regularly with your adolescent. In addition, pay attention to where they are and who they are with. Most youth report discussing health topics with parents, including sexual and reproductive health.
To have effective conversations, parents need to know about options to prevent unintended pregnancies, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Options include not having sex, and using condoms and birth control.
For more information on STI/HIV prevention visit: How to Prevent STIs and Preventing HIV.
See Also
Facts
Health services are available for young people to help them prevent unintended pregnancy. It is important that parents know about these services, too.
Did you know?
Where can I get more information about birth control?
Many safe and effective birth control methods are available for adolescents who are, or are considering becoming, sexually active.
They can choose the method that works best for them. Details on the range of birth control methods are available on CDC's website.
Choosing the right birth control method
Information from parents and health care providers can help adolescents decide which birth control method is right for them.
It is important to consider:
How well does it work?
Some birth control methods are more effective at preventing pregnancy than others. Learn more here.
Is it easy to use?
Some methods may be easier to use than others. For example, if it is hard to remember to take a pill every day, birth control pills may not be the best option.
What are the possible side effects?
A health care provider can explain potential side effects of methods. The provider can also ensure that a method is safe, given an adolescent’s overall health.
Does it prevent STIs?
Most contraceptive methods do not prevent STIs and HIV. So it's best that adolescents always use condoms in addition to their primary birth control method. This dual approach helps prevent both STIs and pregnancy. Also, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can help to protect against HIV.
For more information on STI/HIV prevention visit: How to Prevent STIs and Preventing HIV
How much does it cost?
The cost of different birth control options may vary based on insurance plans. For those without health insurance, some clinics provide free or low-cost birth control.
Adolescents might also consider accessibility, user control, reversibility, and ease of removal or discontinuation when choosing the birth control method that is right for them. The choice of a specific birth control method should always be informed and voluntary.
Birth Control and STIs
- Make sure your adolescent knows that even if they are using another type of birth control, they should use a condom every time they have sex. This reduces the risk for HIV and most other STIs.
- Birth control—such as the IUD, implant, pill, patch, ring, or shot—provides effective pregnancy prevention. But these methods do not protect against HIV and other STIs.
- Condoms can reduce both partners' risk for most STIs, including HIV, as well as the risk for pregnancy. Also, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can help to protect against HIV.
- Getting tested for STIs is also important.
Where can I get more information about birth control?
Steps parents can take to help their adolescents
You play an important role in helping your adolescent get regular access to quality health care. For example, parents can help their adolescent:
- Find a health care provider they like, and make sure they get annual check-ups.
- Fill prescriptions and take medications correctly.
Talking about sex, relationships, and how to prevent HIV, STIs, and pregnancy may not always be comfortable or easy. But you can encourage your teen to ask questions. Some tips to help you include:
- Begin talking with your adolescent early and often.
- Be prepared to give fair and honest answers. This will help keep open lines of communication.
- Explain to your adolescent about the health services a provider may discuss with them, and why they are important.
- Make sure teens are aware of their options for birth control. It's important that boys and young men know about birth control, too, and receive routine sexual and reproductive health care.
It's helpful when adolescents are prepared to seek health care with some independence—so they can continue this practice in adulthood.
- As a first step, your adolescent should routinely have one-to-one time with their provider (while you're out of the room).
- Let them know that one-to-one time is a good time for them to ask questions and talk openly and honestly.
- Encourage them to ask about sexual and reproductive health services when they have one-to-one time with their provider.
You and your adolescent's health care provider can work together as a team with a shared goal: improving your adolescent's health.
- You can let the health care provider know that you are supportive of your adolescent receiving recommended health services. Note that these include those for preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy.
- You can ask your adolescent's health care provider to explain more about services that you're less familiar with.
Be aware of the quality of the health information your adolescent is receiving from school, friends, online, or other sources.
Your adolescent may not be receiving complete or accurate information from all of these sources. Be available to answer any questions they may have. The more you know about health topics, the easier it is to talk with your adolescent about them.
Resources are available to help you take these action steps. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a website called Healthy Children that includes information for parents about adolescent health services.
CDC has information to help parents talk with their teen, and to support their teen in making good decisions about sex.
Parents can also support one-to-one time between a teen and their health provider. Parents can share teen-specific information on reproductive health, as well.