Well, as .I'm sure most of us know teenagers are going to have sex regardless of if we don't want them too or not. Threatening them with consequence if you find out they are is only going to make them do it behind your back and possibly not be completely ready for it.

Parents should be teaching them about it.

Let your daughters know if they need to be on birth control you will take them, and encourage condom use as well.

Make sure your sons have condoms and drill it in their heads to use them.

I have heard some of my friends talking about their 15 year olds saying, "oh there's no way she's ready for that". "She's involved in too many activities, where would she have the time?" I say, "how old were you when you started having sex?" "when .I was a teenager .I participated in every possible activity in school and .I still found the time to do it".
Don't be blind

I think education is the most insanely important thing on the planet!!

I think birth control should be available from 9th grade on. Plan-b in the nurses office! Condoms too of course, and also information about the closest planned parenthood, etc.

i would not encourage it in anyway but i would make sure that my daughter knows that she can talk to me about anything without consequence. i think its vital to make sure your child feels that they can come to you with anything.
My parents taught me it was for marriage, and that what i waited for. granted, my ex was abusive and ive been divorced and remarried but i do believe we need to teach our children morals and that sex isnt something to take lightly. my biggest thing is that you just need to keep that line of communication open.

I know my mom would be the last person I would talk to about sex. Teens aren't going to tell their parents if they're having sex, and they'll likely be embarrassed if the parents insist on having 'the talk' or they'll ignore you. If you're a parent, the best thing you can do is leave some books or pamphlets lying around where Junior or Princess can find them. If you have an adult friend whom your teenager is more at ease speaking to, perhaps see if they can give the talk instead. Or, give Junior condoms, pump Princess full of contraceptives and wish them the best of luck. Or, if you have a daughter, have her get an IUD - or is this only limited to Eurpoe?

you cant have an iud until after childbirth in the us.
now why in .god's name would you pump your child full of birth control and then send them out into the world. i couldn't care less if my kid is uncomfortable with having the sex talk we're still going to have it. if you look at the teenage pregnancy forum on this site youll see how uneducated a lot of kids are on sex.. so even if it makes her squirm to hear about the ways you get pregnant and what std's are shes still going to hear it from me.

it's all about the kind of relationship you have with your child, if you raise them talkinga bout it then im sure they're going to be a lot more open with you, i've met kids who openly talk about their sex lives to their parents, while i could never do that. me and my mom never ever talked about sex growing u, but when i started my period i got the sex talk, but i still feel awkward talking to her about it. so i hope to raise my kids to talk about it and be open about it. i don't want them to tell me about their sex life lol but i'll let them know that they can come to me and if they want to get on the pill then i can take them or they can go.

i don't think teens having sex is a bad thing as long as they know they need to be responsible with it (but things happen).

You can get an iud before childbirth, you just have to know who to talk to and where to go.

Secondly, getting your daughter on the pill is not "pumping" her full of birth control. That whole metaphor was silly.

My mother put me on birth control when I was 16 because I was going away for a month to a mix-gendered art camp, and she knew what could happen. It didn't, but the preparation my mother showed represents to me the ultimate in what a mother can do for her daughter in reference to sex. She didn't say "have sex", she in fact told me not to. But just in case, I was safe. I also had no intention of having sex, and I didn't. But I was safe.

good for your mom then but i would to me that is sending out a subliminal message and personally there is no way in hell id put my daughter on birth control just in case something happened. if we discussed it and she was thinking about having sex and was making a responsible well thought out decision about it then yes, i would take her to get birth control.

and in california you will have a very hard time finding a responsible doctor who will put in a iud unless you have had children and or do not plan on ever having children due to the fact that in can affect your fertility if infection occurs.

My mom did it more in case I was raped, and personally, having to get an abortion or going through a pregnancy and adoption or keeping the child of a rape is a heck of a lot worse in every way possible, than putting your daughter on a pill.

It wasn't a "subliminal" message, because I was raised that sex was for marriage or love, and something done only if you're sure you're in love. It was a message of "I trust you and I know you don't want to have sex, but in case something happens, now you're safe. I love you enough to protect you."

Not putting a girl on birth control because you think it's a subliminal message is pretty irresponsible in my eyes. Prevention before abortion I always say.

I'm not saying it's easy to get an iud. I said "you have to know where to go and who to talk to."

Just about everything can affect your fertility, but an iud is pretty low on that list. I think you're more likely to contract an std that affects your infertility, than you are likely to have your fertility affected by an iud. The fears about iuds are totally blown out of proportion.

I plan to talk to my children at a young age, like my mother did me. I had the talk when I was about eleven, right before I had my first menstrual period. She basically just told me about sex, her experiences with it, how things can go wrong, and that even though she hoped I would wait until marriage because it is safest, I can come to her if I do have sex and get the pill. So, when I was seventeen and lost my virginity, that's exactly what I did.

my mom was absolutely and completely against me having sex until i was over 18 at least. she didn't let me date until i was 16 and she warned me over and over if she ever caught me or if i ever got pregnant she would kill me. i knew she wouldn't kill me but i got the message loud and clear. to be honest i didn't even think about it until one day i fell in love. we waited a long time but seriously, i think i was probably the only virgin in my high school and my hormones were raging like mad. we ended up having sex and hiding it from my mom and i'm lucky i didn't end up pregnant. i was never promiscuous in any way but it only takes one time to get pregnant or contract an std, possibly one that last the rest of your life. i'm going to be open with my kids and tell them all the reasons i think they should wait and how important it is to respect yourself and to do it for the right reasons not because you are simply curious or feel pressured to fit in. if they are curious about it i will talk to them about it without going into graphic detail of course, if i think that will keep them from doing it for that reason. i don't regret being with my boyfriend when i was in high school because i really did love him, i just regret the risks we took and the fact that it was pure luck that kept me from getting pregnant. i would rather talk to my kids about these things, not assume that they are going to do it or not going to do it. i probably won't know when they start being sexually active but i want them to have access to birth control and good information about preventing stds as well as the emotional and moral issues surrounding sex and relationships.

Actually...

The IUD had recently been approved for women that have never given birth.

The risk of infection comes from STD'S.

I work in healthcare, am degreed and educated. This is my work.

We routinely insert IUD's in nulliparous women, as long as they understand that the risk of massive problems from STD's exist.

Go to any planned parenthood or aboriton clinic, there are often the first line in sterilization or IUD'S if you have never had children.

I think that you should just approach your teenager and tell them that its ok to experience but then need to be safe... encourage them to use condoms to protect against STDs and if it is a female tell them that you would prefer them to go on birth control so they don't have to worry about taking care of a child at a young age.. then call to make an appointment for her to get the birth control.

Kristy heard birthcontroll will make it harder to have a baby when u get off of it .. is that truee?

( ohh yaa beach on tuesday its going to be nicee but you gotta wakee earrlyyy so hit the sheets early lady !! lol )

Well it's not really true...

It can take several months for the woman's body to return to its normal cycle, but once it does she should be as fertile as (lol) she was before birth control.

eiri iud's are not recommendable for women who have never had children. First because the uterus is very small and can barely fit one. And second because the body is most likely to reject it. A uterus who never had a child don't like anything strange in it. I personally now particulary since i will be having children in my mid 30's want my uterus in it's top shape, i aint not risking any trouble with it until i birth at least 2 children

You must have missed carifairy's post. It's just been reviewed, and iuds are recommended for women who have never given birth. Get up on the news girl It's great news!

So whatever interesting/assumed ideas you have... they're not true!

I'm not a mother (yet) but I always thought if they're going to do it, at least be smart about it. Condoms, pills, rings, spermicides, etc.

I will talk to them, but I'm hoping that sex-ed in high school will fill in the gaps that I can't cover (becuase of lack of knowlege or something). I like the idea of having condoms given out, but it should be done in a discrete way of course. Also the health teachers and nurses should post phone numbers & address for Planned Parent Hood.

My parents never gave me the sex talk, not entirely sure why. But I turned out ok, I didn't loose my virginity until I was 20.

We learn sex-ed in middle school now lol and my health teacher gives out fliers and she talks about STDs and all that junk never passed out condoms thow but we talk about all the saftey i just think passing out condoms makes it seem like its ok to be having sex at sucha young agee even thow it deff encourages teens to use them .. but idk lol