SexSmarts Survey

seventeen
SexSmarts is an ongoing public
information partnership between
the Kaiser Family Foundation and
seventeen magazine to provide
young people with information and
resources on sexual health issues.
The campaign addresses a range of
topics from decision making about
sex, including how to say no, to the
real facts on hiv and other sexually
transmitted diseases (stds).
Under the partnership, the Foundation
and seventeen periodically survey
teens about their knowledge and
attitudes about sex and sexual
health. These nationally-representative
survey snapshots shed light
on the issues facing teens today and
their information needs. The campaign
also includes special articles
in the magazine, an online monthly
column on seventeen.com, and other
consumer education materials.
A Series of National Surveys of Teens About Sex
July 2002 >
Communication
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Many teens wait until after they?ve had sex to talk to their
parents about it ? that is, if they ever do. According to a
national survey of 15- to 17-year-olds, one in four teen girls,
and nearly one in two teen boys, who have had sexual intercourse
say their parents don?t know about it.
Even among parents in the know, many are finding out about
their teen?s sex life later than they might like to, or at least too
late to have an influence on the choices their children make,
or to encourage them to protect themselves.
Of all the teens surveyed ? including both those who have had
sex as well as those who have not ? half have never had a
conversation with a parent about how to know when you are
ready to have sex. And even fewer have talked with a parent
about how to bring up topics like birth control, condoms or
sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing with someone they
are dating.
Most teens aren?t talking about their sexual health with a
doctor either. Less than a third report having talked with a
health care provider about HIV/AIDS, other STDs, or condoms.
This survey snapshot of 503 teens aged 15 to 17 examines
experiences and attitudes related to sexual health communication.
Additional information is included from focus
group discussions conducted with teen girls in Atlanta,
GA April 15, 2002. This is the fifth in a series of nationally
representative surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family
Foundation and seventeen magazine.
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Talking About Sex ? Too Late?
Just one in 10 teens who have had sexual
intercourse say they discussed their
plans with their parents ahead of time; a
quarter told them after the fact, and
another one fifth say their parents found
out ?some other way.? The remainder ?
close to forty percent of sexually-active
teens ? say their parents still don?t
know. (Figure 1)
What?s behind this silence? Part of the
problem is a lack of communication
between parents and their teens. Close
to half of 15-to 17-year-olds surveyed ?
including 56 percent of those who are
already sexually active ? say they have
never talked with their parents about
sexual decision making. Nor have many
discussed other sexual health issues,
like HIV/AIDS, other STDs, condoms or
other forms of birth control. (Figure 2)
Without these talks, teens may be missing
an opportunity to get the guidance
they need to protect themselves.
Experts say that kids whose parents talk
with them about sex are more likely to
wait longer before they have sex, and to
use birth control or protection when
they do.
Parents don?t
know they are
having sex
FIGURE 1. Talking About Sex
Percent of sexually active teens
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FIGURE 2. Tough Talks
Percent who have never talked with a parent about:
How to talk with a
boyfriend or girlfriend
about sexual health issues
such as pregnancy, birth
control and STDs
How to know when you
are ready to have sex
Other STDs
Other methods
of birth control
HIV/AIDS
Condoms
48% 44%
46% 48%
56% 48%
54% 50%
52% 51%
58% 57%
Sexually active teens All teens
When it comes to telling their parents
they are thinking about ? or already are
? having sex, many say it doesn?t happen
because teens think their parents
will disapprove. Indeed, eight in 10 say
parents will assume it means they are
having sex. They also say it?s just too
embarrassing to bring up. Others suspect
parents? would just as well prefer
to stay in the dark when it comes to
teens? sex lives. (Figure 3)
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?I asked my mom to go on birth
control ? but she said ?No. It
would give you free rein to have
sex with anybody you want.? I
don?t understand why they feel
that way.?
?Shannon, 17
28%
11%
4%
20%
37%
Discussed sex with parents
before having sex
Discussed sex
with parents
after having sex
Parents found out
they were having sex
some other way
Don?t know or
refused
They worry about their
parent?s reaction
They worry their
parents will think
they are having sex
They are
embarrassed
They don?t know
how to bring it up
They don?t think
parents understand
FIGURE 3. Conversation Concerns
Percent who say the following are big reasons why people
their age don?t talk with their parents about sexual health:
78%
77%
64%
80%
83%
FIGURE 4. What?s Up Doc?
Percent who have never talked about the following with a health care provider:
How to know when you
are ready to have sex
How to talk with a
boyfriend or girlfriend
about sexual health issues
such as pregnancy, birth
control and STDs
Other methods
of birth control
Condoms
HIV/AIDS
Other STDs
60% 67%
66% 75%
84% 84%
59% 68%
67% 72%
76% 83%
Sexually active teens All teens
Teens and doctors aren?t talking about
decision-making or communication
either. Less than one in five ? and only
slightly more sexually active teens ? say
they have talked with a provider about
how to discuss their sexual health with
someone they might be dating, or how
to know when they are ready to become
sexually active.
Teens report some of the same concerns
keeping them from talking with their
parents about sexual health issues are
also preventing them from talking with a
provider: namely, embarrassment and
feeling ill-equipped to raise the topic.
Others worry that their health care
provider will tell their parents about
their visit.
?When I went to get birth control,
that was the first time I?d been to
a gynecologist. Before that, my
pediatrician never really asked
me about sex.?
?Leslie, 17
Doctor?s Orders
It?s not just parents who are in the dark.
Teens and health care providers aren?t
talking about their sexual histories even
though it could affect their care. More
than half of teens who are sexually
active say they have never discussed
HIV/AIDS, other STDs, or contraception
with a doctor or other health care
provider. (Figure 4)
Among all teens, only a third report
hearing from a health care provider
about HIV/AIDS or other STDs, and closer
to one in four report having a conversation
about condoms or other forms of
birth control.
For more information about SexSmarts, visit our website: www.seventeen.com/sexsmarts. To receive additional copies of
this publication or other SexSmarts survey snapshots, please contact the Kaiser Family Foundation Publication Request Line
(1-800-656-4533). This summary is publication #3240.
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FIGURE 5. Speaking Up
Percent who have never talked about the following with a partner:
What do you
feel comfortable
doing sexually
Condoms
Other methods
of birth control
HIV/AIDS
Other STDs
39% 56%
21% 45%
20% 36%
41% 58%
28% 53%
Sexually active teens All teens
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They are worried
about what their
partner might think
They don?t know
how to bring it up
They are
embarrassed
They don?t know
enough
FIGURE 6. Perceptions
Percent who say that the following are big reasons
why teens don?t talk to a boyfriend or girlfriend about
sexual health issues
71%
62%
73%
82%
Tongue Tied
Given the general lack of dialogue about
sex going on at home and in the doctor?s
office, perhaps it?s not surprising that
some young people are having a hard
time talking with their boyfriends and
girlfriends about these issues as well.
While about two-thirds of teens say they
have talked about what they feel comfortable
doing sexually with a boyfriend
or girlfriend, including 80 percent of
sexually active teens, far fewer have
talked about specifics ? like contraception,
protection or STDs. (Figure 5)
Among teens who have had sex, more
than one in five has never talked about
condoms or any other form of birth control
with a partner. And, just because
they have talked, doesn?t mean they did
before they became sexually active.
Nearly two-thirds of teens surveyed
agree that their peers often wait until
after they have had sex to talk about
things like condoms or STDs with a
boyfriend or girlfriend.
Many teens say when these conversations
have come up it?s been a shared
responsibility. Still, some old gender
stereotypes still hold true, such as
thinking condoms are a topic to be
raised by boys, while pregnancy and
other forms of birth control are in the
girls? domain. One reason for the silence
between partners is stigma: Four in five
teens say people their age worry about
what the other person will think about
them if they raise a topic like testing or
condoms. But, many also say lack of
knowledge about what or how to say it is
also a barrier, as is embarrassment.
(Figure 6)
Speaking Up
In addition to hearing more from their
parents about sex ? and hearing it earlier
? sex education could also do more.
More than half of teens agree that Sex
Ed hasn?t prepared them to communicate
on these hard-to-talk-about topics.
Three in four say seeing characters on
TV shows who model this kind of behavior
can help break down some of these
communication barriers.