SEX STATISTICS - Teen Sex and Parents

The following statistics are from The National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Familes, and can be found at www.nationalcoalition.org

Internet Pornography	Pornography in the Workplace	Pornography and Children	Pornographic Cable Television and Videos
Pornography
Teens and sex STD's	Teens and sex STD's and HIV	Teens and sex Condoms	Teens and sex Abstinence
Teen Pregnancy	Teen Sex	Teen Sex and Parents	Teen Sex Oral Sex
Marriage and Family Cohabitation/ Premarital Sex	Same Sex Marriage	Marriage and Family	Extra-Marital Affairs
Single Parent Households	Single Adults	Religion	Portrayals of Sex in the Media
Sexually Oriented Business (SOB)	Entertainment/Technology/ Advertising/Emerging/Technology		Radio
Cell Phones	Video Games	Television	Ratings
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Teen Sex and Parents

• 49 percent of teens said their parents influenced their decisions about sex most strongly.  Abstinence Until Marriage: The Best Message for Teens, Bridget E. Maher.  Family Research Council,
  7 September 2004.
• 88 percent of teens ages 12-19 say it would be easier to postpone sexual activity if able to have more open, honest conversations with parents.  National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, September 2003.
• While both parents and teens report talking to each other about sex and relationships, there appears to be a disconnect:  twice as many parents than teens maintain these conversations happen often (85% to 41%).   Nearly 3 in 10 young teens ‘sexually active.’  NBC News, PEOPLE Magazine Poll, 19 January 2005.
• While 27% of teens report having been sexually intimate, only about half of their parents (15%) believed their teens have gone beyond kissing.  Nearly 3 in 10 young teens ‘sexually active.’  NBC News, PEOPLE Magazine Poll, 19 January 2005.
• 91 percent of teens ages 15-17 that have not had sex said they were influenced by what their parents have taught them about sex. Virginity and The First Time.  The Kaiser Family Foundation, October, 2003.
• A new Johns Hopkins University study found that teenage African-American girls with an actively involved parent are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease; the study also found communication alone is not enough - parents need to be specific about boundaries on sexual behaviors.  Parental Involvement Key, Study Says, Steve Jordahl.  Family News In Focus,
  12 July 2004.
• While research indicates 84% of parents don’t think their teens are sexually active, 50% of high schoolers are.   U.S. Census Bureau.  www.census.gov.  October 2004.
• A national survey of parents of high school students conducted by the Society for Adolescent Medicine found that almost 60% were concerned about the consequences of adolescent sexual behavior, but 84% of parents did not believe their own child was sexually active. New survey reveals surprising insights into parental attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior: parents share top concerns about their high schoolers.  Society for Adolescent Medicine, 16 Aug 2004 www.eurekalert.org.
• The Heritage Foundation found that 75% of parents believe schools should teach children about abstinence and contraceptives, including condoms.  What do parents want taught in sex education programs? Rector RE, Pardue MG and Martin S.  The Heritage Foundation, 2004.