A Parent Child Program to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy

While the U.S. teen birth rate is currently at its lowest level, it remains high in relation to other industrialized countries and continues to be a public health concern due to health risks for teen mothers and their babies, and associated social and economic costs. Parental monitoring, supervision, and open communication about sexual issues have been found to be protective factors for adolescent sexual activity and pregnancy. Our theoretically based Internet program for parents of pre-adolescent children aged 10-14, Let's Talk about Sex, is designed to build parental communication, knowledge, and attitudes to discuss sensitive topics with their child, including sexuality, pregnancy prevention, and preventing sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs). This age group of children was selected because parental communication about pregnancy and STI prevention will be most effective if initiated prior to, rather than after, the age when children commonly become sexually active. The "Let's Talk about Sex" program is grounded in behavior change theory and incorporates the use of video for behavioral modeling and emotional support.