Teen Pregnancy Prevention Beyond May

As a former teen mom, one of the questions I'm always asked is how do we prevent teen pregnancy.   Now that my oldest daughter is 11-years-old, it's a question that is at the forefront of my mind as well.  My answer has less to do with the debate over comprehensive vs. abstinence based sex education in schools and more to do with strengthening family bonds at home.

My own experience coupled with the conversations I've had with teens all over the country is that the biggest influence on sexual behavior is the health and communication of the family.  If things are bad at home, the risk for teen pregnancy goes up.  "Bad" can mean something as extreme as molestation or an alcoholic parent to something as commonplace as not enough quality time spent together as a family and broken lines of communication between a father and daughter.  

In addition to the overall health of the family, communication about sex and relationships needs to start at an early age and it needs to be real, age-appropriate, and non-judgmental.  It's never too late to start an open dialog about sex in your home.  

Kids don't come with manuals.  Navigating parenting is difficult, so I recommend getting some resources in your hands.  Here are some great resources on parenting in general and talking about sex with your children that will take teen pregnancy prevention beyond the month of May:

General healthy family information:
 
FamilyLife (a Christian organization that helps marriages and families thrive)

Parenting.org (a site developed by the Boys Club)
Medline Plus parenting resources

Talking to Your Kids about Sex:

Resources for parents from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy 

Resources for parents from Answer


Preparing Your Daughter for Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge (a book I'm reading now with a realistic Christian perspective)

There are a bunch of resources out there.  Go to your local bookstore and see what you can find!  If you're interested in my story, please click here. 

Happy parenting!


Nicole