How to Start Talking About Sex

Are you a parent or champion of a young person and want to talk, but aren’t sure where to start? Here are five conversation prompts to help get things going.
 

Prompt 1: Have you explored birth control options yet?

This is a great, nonjudgmental way to open up a world of conversations with a young person. Whether they answer yes, no, or somewhere in between, you can use their reply to share plenty of evidence-based information on all the different methods of contraception available. Let them know that you’re supportive of using birth control and that they don’t have to hide it if they are curious.
 

Prompt 2: Do you know what consent is?

Work together to define what consent means in a variety of situations. For example, you can talk about the situations in which people find themselves touching others, ask them how they feel about touch, and, if necessary, brainstorm ways ask others to respect their boundaries.  
 

Prompt 3: How do you define a healthy relationship?

After hearing what your young person thinks makes for a healthy relationship, break down the different components (physical health, mental health, emotional health) of all relationships to keep the conversation going. 
 

Prompt 4: Where do you get good info about safe sex?

While research has shown that young people prefer to learn about sex, love, and relationships from a trusted adult in their lives, there are a lot of other sources out there. In fact, polling indicates that Gen-Z looks to TikTok before Google to answer their everyday questions. Ask your teen where they’ve looked in the past when they had a question and use their answer to suggest similar (or more trustworthy) resources. 
 

Prompt 5: What’s your take on sex ed at school?

The sex ed curriculum that your young person receives in schools may vary widely from their what their peers learn based on state or local laws, school boards, and more. Ask your teen what their sex education experience has been like and see if there’s anything they feel was missing. Their answer can help guide future conversations to fill in the gaps.