Disconnect between Latino parents & Teens in talking about Sex.

Almost half (45%) of Latino teens aged 14-18 say they have never had a helpful conversation with their parents about sex, yet 82% of parents of Latino teens say they have had such a conversation, according to a new survey released in the May 2006 issue of Latina magazine.

The Latina/National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy survey of 183 Latino high school students in Los Angeles and New York and 153 parents of Latino teens (not the parents of the teens who took the survey) reveal other disconnects between Latino parents and teens:

• Parents consistently underestimate teens’ level of sexual involvement. For example, nearly half (47%) of the teens surveyed said they were sexually experienced, but only 30% of parents thought their kids had sex.

• 78% of teens said they either don’t talk to their parents about their sex lives, or they lie about it. For their part, 58% of parents believe their kids are being honest with them about sex.

• 68% of teens said they do not share their parents’ values about sex, even though an equal percentage of parents think their kids do.

Although the Latina teen pregnancy rate has decreased 15% over the last decade, currently more than half (51%) of Latina teens get pregnant by age 20. “If you’ are a Latina teen, you are more likely than not to get pregnant before you turn 20. This alarming fact blew our staff away,” said Betty Cortina, editorial director of Latina magazine and Latina.com. “This should be a wake up call to Hispanic parents, to make sure their children are making smart decisions about sex, love, and relationships. They need to talk openly with their kids, be involved in their lives, and encourage them to aspire without boundaries.” Cortina added, “This impacts not just parents and teens, but our entire community. We all need to be positive role models and to teach young Latinas that success is based on making good choices…now. Family is extremely important to Latinos, but waiting until you are more prepared to start a family is better for you and your baby.”

The survey also suggests that teens’ decisions about sex don’t always match their ideals:

• 9 out of 10 young people surveyed said it is not okay to get pregnant or get someone pregnant as a teen, yet half of the sexually experienced teens surveyed said they have had sex without using contraception.

• Half of the teens in the survey said the right time to lose your virginity is “when you are in love,” yet fully one-third of sexually experienced teens said they have had a one night stand.

“Teen pregnancy is 100% preventable and is an effective strategy for improving child and family wellbeing,” said Sarah Brown, Director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. “That is why we are so pleased to be working with Latina to build awareness within the Hispanic community about the high rate of Latino teen pregnancy, and to remind parents that there is much they can do to help their teens delay pregnancy and parenthood. We are here to support them.” Brown added that “While teen pregnancy rates have declined across all racial and ethnic groups over the last decade, the rates among Latinas have not decreased as much. Any effort to reduce teen pregnancy in the U.S. must provide special support in areas where rates are high.”