HHS Announces New Communication Tools To Help
Parents Talk To Their Teens About Abstinence
Web Site to Help Parents Discuss Important
Issues about Healthy Choices, Sex and Relationships
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today
announced a new set of communication tools to help equip parents to talk
with their teens about sex and relationships while encouraging them to
remain abstinent from unhealthy behaviors.
"Decisions about relationships and
intimacy are made in a moment, but often have lasting consequences,"
Secretary Leavitt said. "These issues are some of the most important
choices teens face physically and emotionally. Parents have a tremendous
amount of influence on their children and we want them to talk with
their teens about abstinence so that they can stay safe and healthy."
The new communication tools include the
4parents.gov Web site as well as Parents, Speak Up and Teen Chat
guidebooks. The 4parents.gov Web site focuses on risk and promotes
abstinence from multiple risk behaviors, including early sexual
activity. In addition, the Web site provides medically accurate
information about a variety of health topics. Some features of the
4parents.gov Web site include interactive tools, statistics and
conversation starters.
The parent guide titled Parents, Speak Up is designed to complement
4parents.gov and equip parents of preteens and adolescents with the
understanding, knowledge, skills and tools they need to talk with their
teens about the risk associated with early sexual activity and the
benefits of abstinence until marriage.
In addition, the Teen Chat guidebook is
designed for preteens and teens through age 19. Teen Chat provides
information about sex and relationships, including sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), peer pressure and abstinence. It provides suggested
activities such as icebreakers for talking with parents, and a short
quiz to increase awareness of STDs. Teen Chat can also be used as a
resource for parents and organizations or institutions that work with
teens.
Recent research continues to show that parents, not peers, have the
greatest impact on teen's sexual decisions, yet many parents fail to
take advantage of their influence. Also, some parents are embarrassed
talking with their teens about sex, feeling they lack the knowledge or
communications skills, and may be uncomfortable discussing with their
teens choices the parents made when they were teens.
Teen Chat and Parents, Speak Up
are collaborative efforts between HHS' Administration for Children and
Families and the Office of Population Affairs. Copies of the guides are
available via the Internet at
www.4parents.gov
or by contacting the Office of Population Affairs Clearinghouse at
clearinghouse@dhhsopa.net.
本文出處:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050325.html |