Discussing Condom Use with Your Teenager

Some parents feel very awkward about discussing sex with their children. So talking about condom use, which is a major part of this sex talk, may make them equally uncomfortable. Nevertheless, condoms are an important part of the sexual conversation that one needs to have with both your sons and daughters to get them well educated on all that they need to know before considering getting intimate with a sexual partner of either sex. The best advice is to simply not hold back or be afraid to talk to your children, because parents or legal guardians are the best sex educators that a child could have, and with few exceptions are the only ones that children can feel especially secure with when speaking about sexual matters. When bringing up the topic, it is usually best to just be direct and frank. In all likelihood, the child will have questions that he or she was afraid to ask and will appreciate the opportunity to learn as long as he or she feels as though the adult is comfortable talking about it.

One of the biggest concerns that parents or legal guardians have a problem with is that if they talk sex with their children, and as soon as they have this chat, they are essentially encouraging their children to go out and try sex for themselves so they can learn more. What a grave misconception that is! It is important for children to know and understand not only about their sex organs but additionally what birth control is and how condoms in particular can protect them. A condom not only provides protection against sexual diseases, it also serves as a reliable means of birth control. With so much functionality offered by such a simple tool of birth control, the subject of condoms should definitely be a part of the sex conversation that you and your youngster will have. If a child is old enough to know about sex, then they should definitely know how important it is to practice safe sex.

The adult must be sure to make it clear that condoms only offer protection against pregnancy and STDs if they are used properly. The talk should include details such as how condoms should be stored, how a condom is properly put on and worn, how it should be removed after sex, even how to take it out of the wrapper and dispose of it properly after intercourse. And of course, no introduction to condom use should omit the important practice of checking the expiration date.

Because today’s generation faces a veritable epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, it makes it all the more vital that parents or guardians do initiate the talk. Not only must children be fully aware of what these diseases are, they must also know the methods that are available to them to protect themselves from contracting any of these sometimes-incurable maladies. Safe sex begins the day that a parent or guardian begins to teach their children about sex, and condoms are one of the most potent tools in the practice.