Psychology Commons^™

Sex Talk: Factors That Influence Parent-Child Communication About Sex, Tiffany Abrego

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Between 50 and 70% of young people are first sexually active between the ages of 15 and 17, and almost 90% by age 18. This early sexual debut puts adolescents at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy if they are uneducated about safe sex. For this reason, it is important to determine the variables that contribute to early sexual debut. One factor that researchers have explored is the communication between parents and their children concerning sex. Researchers have found that the communication about sex is influenced by parents’ own beliefs, experiences, and comfort level discussing sexual topics. …