IT'S too soon to call it a sexual counter-revolution, but a growing number of teen-agers appear to be saying "no" to early sexual activity and its consequences. For the sixth year in a row, births to teen-age mothers declined. In 1996, according to figures released by the federal government and other studies, the drop is at least partially a result of fewer teen-agers engaging in sex, particularly in their early teen years. Ironically, this trend occurs at a time when all too many adults have given up trying to discourage teen-agers from having sex.
For years, the sexperts have been telling us that a "just say no" approach will never work when it comes to teen sex, and baby-boomer parents have largely bought the line. But new evidence suggests that parents' behavior and attitudes are key in determining whether their children have sex or become teen parents. Maybe it's time for some straight talk with parents about their role in preventing teen sex.
"Families matter," according to a new report of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, which synthesizes research on family influences on adolescent pregnancy. "Over two decades of research confirms that families -- and particularly parents -- are an important influence on whether their teen-agers" become parents, says Brent C. Miller, a professor and head of the department of family and human development at Utah State University, who wrote the report. Among the major findings:
Teens who are close to their parents are more likely to remain abstinent, have fewer sexual partners and use contraceptives when they do become sexually active.
Teens whose parents closely supervise them are more likely to be older when they first have sex and have fewer partners.
Teens whose parents hold strong opinions about the value of abstinence or about the dangers of unprotected intercourse are at less risk of becoming pregnant.
Family matters
And on the other side of the equation, teens who live in single, female-headed households are more likely to engage in sex in their early teens. Teens also seem to be influenced by their older siblings' sexual activity and the dating patterns of their unmarried parents, both of which may encourage promiscuity and/or out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
These findings shouldn't come as a surprise, but they certainly fly in the face of current popular opinion. Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, we've come to accept premarital sex as nearly universal, even among 15- and 16-year-olds. That's partly because we're inundated with movies, television shows, songs and news reports about the prevalence of teen sex.
