Talking Contraception and Sexuality with Your Child

Preventing Risky Sexual Activity

Here are a few issues/facts that you and your child should be aware of:

• Some teens don't know enough about condoms to protect themselves from pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They seem to believe that they are invincible. If you can't share a personal experience, then educate them through books or ask for assistance from a public health nurse or your physician or other professional.
• Discuss the risks of STIs and getting tested. As with any disease, prevention is important, but early diagnosis is very important.
• Make sure that your child knows that if they are going to have sex, condoms are the only contraceptive that can effectively prevent STIs. Birth control pills and other contraceptive methods are used to prevent pregnancy, not disease.
• If they are having sex, try to stress the fact that monogamy is much safer. Variety is not the spice of life!
• Serial monogamy, that is, having one relationship after another, also has risks of sexually transmitted infections.
• Although there hasn't been much publicity, hepatitis B is increasingly common and vaccination programs are now widespread. More than 3000 new cases were diagnosed in Canada in 1994 alone. See your doctor with your child for more information on prevention and treatment. A vaccine against hepatitis B is now available.
• All sexually active girls should have Pap smear tests. Your daughter should know that this test can detect cervical cancer, and is a test that should be done on an annual basis for their protection.
• Detection of sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, is not done with the Pap smear test and the patient should discuss with her physician about appropriate testing.

Last Modified: September 5, 2006