Teens Say Time to Talk About Sex

ALBANY, NY (11/10/2008)(readMedia)-- Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood's high school peer education program is called S.T.A.R.S. which stands for Seriously Talking About Responsible Sex. Today, November 10, the group is launching a bus shelter ad campaign to promote that serious conversation between more parents and teens.

The ads feature a photograph of a S.T.A.R.S. student and parent engaged in a thoughtful conversation. The ad text, "If you ask, I'll talk... If you talk, I'll listen. Take Time to Talk About Sex"" addresses some of the barriers that S.T.A.R.S. members feel prevent these conversations from starting or being productive. The UHPP web site address is included, and that site currently displays tips and information for parents and teens about how to start talking, and links to more information about sexual health.

The advertisements will be displayed on the side of five popular bus shelters across the city of Albany, including locations at the Crossgates Mall, the intersection of Central Ave and Westgate, and the intersection of Madison Ave and New Scotland. The campaign will run through December 7^th.

Some parents doubt their own ability to influence teens regarding sexual behavior. A survey conducted by The National Campaign to Prevent Pregnancy asked parents who they believed most influenced teen decisions about sex. The majority felt that friends were a far greater influence than parents. However, when teens were asked who most influenced their decisions about sex, the answer was parents.

In fact, without parental guidance and access to factual information, kids too often begin to rely on misinformation and myth. A new study conducted by Rand Corporation surveyed 2,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 and observed their habits when watching television as well as their patterns in sexual behavior over the course of three years. The results concluded that teens who watched a great deal of television that contained sexual content were twice as likely to become pregnant by age 20 than teens who did not view as much sexual content on television. Anita Chandra, a lead researcher had the following to say: "Adolescents today receive a considerable amount of information about sex through television and that programming typically does not highlight the risks and responsibilities of sex...parents should consider limiting their children's access to programming with sexual content and spending more time watching programs with their children so they can explain the consequences of sex."

The S.T.A.R.S. peer educators might also ad, that regardless of how much television is being watched, parents need to stay informed and start talking early and often with their kids about sexual health and decision making. S.T.A.R.S. educator Johron Lee had the following to say about why so few parents are discussing sexuality with their kids: "Parents don't know how to bring up the subject, or they get all awkward and uncomfortable around the topic." Johron and the other peers hope that the bus shelter ads will give parents a push in the right direction towards an open dialogue with their kids about sex..

The Albany S.T.A.R.S. program is currently composed of ten Albany High School students, ages 14 through 18 who have been trained to serve as educators of other teens about issues related to sexual health. Topics they have studied include healthy relationships, abstinence, birth control methods, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, the reproductive cycle, responding to peer pressure and more. S.T.A.R.S. members present programs at Albany High School and other local schools and organizations, help run a Teen Clinic Thursday afternoons at the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood center on Lark Street, and become one-on-one, approachable sources of confidential, factual information for their peers. For more information on the S.T.A.R.S. program, parents and teens can call 434-5678 x 160.

Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood is a community-based non-profit organization providing advocacy, education and medical services for reproductive health care in the capital region since 1934. Our services are delivered with special concern for the underserved. The S.T.A.R.S. program is funded through a New York State Department of Health Community Based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention grant.

Related Links:

UHPP web site: www.uhpp.org

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy STudies:

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/SS/SS8_ParentInfluence.pdf

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/SS/SS25_ParChildCommunication.pdf

The Rand Corporation Study: http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/media/randstudy.aspx

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