October is Let's Talk Month

Let’s Talk Month is a national and statewide initiative that provides an opportunity for parents, guardians, and children to learn how to communicate honestly and openly about relationships, sexuality, and other sensitive topics. Research shows that adolescents prefer to receive sex education from their caregivers and that children who talk with parents and guardians about sex and relationships are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Parents in Minnesota agree too. 96% of parents and guardians in Minnesota agree that students should be encouraged to talk to them about sex and sexuality and want youth to receive medically accurate information on sexual health. By having these conversations, parents and guardians can promote positive attitudes towards sexuality, sex, and healthy relationships to help avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.  

The role of guardians and parents is crucial when supporting adolescents to make healthy decisions about sex. According to the Minnesota Student Survey, adolescents in Minnesota are less likely to have sex during high school if they feel they have an adult they can talk to and who cares about them. Adolescents whose parents and guardians have open conversations about healthy relationships are less likely to engage in sexually risky behavior and start having sex at a later age compared to their peers, according to Advocates for Youth. Some parents might not believe it, but young people say their parents and guardians influence their decisions about relationships more than their friends, media, siblings, or their dating partners. 

Most parents want the opportunity to share their values and provide their children with accurate information about sexuality. But parents and guardians often feel uncomfortable discussing sexuality and need assistance and support on how to staMinnesota Department of Education. (n.d.) Minnesota student survey. Retrieved October 16th, 2024 from  https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/mss/rt meaningful conversations. MDH recommends that parents and guardians start having age-appropriate conversations early in a child’s life about healthy relationships, their body, and sexuality. Minnesota has a variety of resources and programs involving evidence-based and informed sex education, abstinence, birth control, parent education, and family planning.  

Citations:

Eisenberg, M. E., Oliphant, J. A., Plowman, S., Forstie, M., & Sieving, R. E. (2022). Increased parent support for comprehensive sexuality education over 15 years. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(6), 744-750.

Minnesota Department of Education. (n.d.) Minnesota student survey. Retrieved October 16, 2024 from https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/mss/

Resources

• Talking with Teens about Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Guide for Parents & Caregivers: The Family and Youth Services Bureau created a guide for parents and caregivers for talking to teens about sex, dating, and relationships. This guide has 27 resources, tips for talking, and quick questions — A communication game for teens and parents/caregivers. For more information, go to: Talking with Teens about Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Guide for Parents & Caregivers (hhs.gov)
• Talking to Your Child About Sex: A Comprehensive List: Healthy Children.org from the Academy of American Pediatrics created a comprehensive list about talking to your child about sex. This website offers tips and tricks on how navigate these conversations when they arise if your child sees or hears something they are not familiar with. 
  For more information, go to: Talking to Your Child About Sex - HealthyChildren.org
• Advice for more open and deeper discussions with teens: Healthy Children.org from the Academy of American Pediatrics not only provides a list for in the moment conversations but also provides information on how to have open and accurate conversations with adolescent’s and their identity. For more information, go to: Adolescent Sexuality: Talk the Talk Before They Walk the Walk - HealthyChildren.org
• Information from the CDC: The CDC offers a variety of options on how to have meaningful discussions with teenagers about preventing pregnancy, STIs and HIV. For more information, go to: Talking with Your Teens about Sex | DASH | CDC
• More resources for parents from Amaze: Amaze offers free resources to help parents talk to their kids about everything from babies to bodies to gender to consent to relationships. These resources include playlists, videos, coloring pages, parent challenges , parent guides and more. For more information go to: Parents - amaze
• Getting Real: 5 Ways to be an “Askable” Parent: Marisa Nightingale, with 20+ years’ experience working at the power to decide, writes directly to parents the importance they have in these conversations with their children. Marisa provides tips on how to be an askable parent. For more information, go to: Getting Real: 5 Ways to be an “Askable” Parent | Power to Decide