"I think my parents thought I wasn't listening, but I still remember everything they taught me."
Growing up, my friends and I talked about s*x ALL. THE. TIME. What celebs do you wanna do it with? Would it be cool to do it on a beach or awful (because ~sand~)? We whispered, day-dreamed, gossiped, and confided in each about our most thrilling, embarrassing, romantic, and not-so hot experiences, real and imagined.
But when it came to talk to my parents about s*x, the convo was def not the same.
Maybe your rents think it's time for *the talk* because they just met your first serious bae. Or you might bring it up yourself because you want birth control. That’s why I decided to ask teens around the world their experiences talking to their parents about s*x.
Here's what they had to say...
"I told both my parents immediately when I had s*x for the first time. I wanted them to know. I actually told them before I told my best friends! My mom was so helpful and kind about it, and just wanted to make sure I felt happy and comfortable before, during, and afterwards. I still appreciate the support she gave me." —Alana, 17
"I don't feel comfortable talking to my parents about s*x, but I have no issue talking to my older sister about it. I think as long as you're asking questions to ~someone~ out there, that's all that matters." —Tess, 16
"I don't speak to my parents about s*x or my s*xuality and I'm okay with it. It's not really part of our relationship, and I don't think it means we're not super close. We bond over other things, and I still love her more than anything." —Payton, 19
"I've had trouble speaking about most things regarding s*x and my s*xuality with my parents. They aren't mean or horrible people at all, it's just an awkward topic to talk about with 'older' people. Part of it might actually be generational. Millennials see the world from such a specific perspective, and 2017 is unlike any other time in history." —Rebecca, 16
"My parents would never ask me about s*x, because our relationship just really involve conversations like ~that~. But, that doesn't mean we're all not super close. Our conversations are more centered around school, college, friendships, and books than s*x or my s*xuality. Sometimes I actually wish they would inform me about s*x more often." —Allegra, 16
"I feel like ever since I came out, it's been really hard for me to speak to most people about my s*x life, parents included. My parents have been nothing but supportive of me coming out, but I feel very excluded from many conversations about s*x." —Kali, 19
"I love talking about s*x with my parents because I find that it's super informative and helpful. S*x can be confusing and complicated at times, and I find it helpful to talk to an adult about it all." —Dakota, 18
"My friends are my go-to people to talk about s*x. However, my mom did sit me down and explain to me how pregnancy works when I turned 13. It was informative, although I pretended that I thought it was weird. I think she thought I wasn't listening, but I still remember everything she taught me." —Elle, 19
"When I was in a relationship for the first time, my girlfriend really wanted to have s*x, but I had questions. Especially since everything is super heteronormative in the media, I was so confused! I knew it would be difficult to ask these kinds of questions to my parents, but I really wanted answers. So, one day after school I knocked on my mom's door and demanded a conversation about it all. She was SO helpful! I was of course so nervous to talk to my parents about s*x, but I realized after speaking with them that they were teens once themselves, and are only there to help you navigate the vast world of romance." —Charlotte, 19
"My boyfriend and I had been together for three years and I wasn't sure if I was ready to have s*x yet. I consulted my mom and older sister, and after talking through everything I realized I was ready. I don't think I could have reached that conclusion without their guidance and emotional support." —Maddie, 16
"My dad is actually really great at talking about s*x with me. He just listens, and answers questions as objectively as he can. I'm the only one I know who talks to their dad about s*x, but seriously, he's been really helpful in teaching me about my body, my life, and s*xuality." —Blair, 18
"My mom was really amazing when it came to talking to me about s*x. She was s*x-positive, informative, and encouraging. However, she never taught me about the emotional aspect of s*x. I wish she would have included more about the emotional implications of s*x in her 's*x talk.'" —India, 19
"The 's*x' convo came a little earlier for me than most because it happened naturally when I came out to them. I sat them down one day after school and demanded a conversation about my s*xuality. I was eleven and told them I liked girls. This convo quickly turned into a lecture about STDs/STIs, s*x, pregnancy, and things to worry about. I pretended not to listen, but I definitely ended up learning a lot from this conversation in the end." —Samantha, 19
"Speaking to my mom about s*x was actually really informative and helpful for me. I think it helped me understand my body more. I understand how it can be embarrassing and weird, but when I was in my first serious relationship I used to knock on her door after dates and just ask her questions about all the things I was thinking about. I had so many questions! After our conversations, I felt more informed, educated, and empowered by all the knowledge I gained." —Annie, 17
"I wish my mother would actually tell me more about s*x. I sometimes think she belittles me and treats me like a child, censoring certain conversations about s*x away from me. We've never really had a long conversation about s*x. I guess that's why I just go to the internet for information about s*x. Maybe it's just as embarrassing for parents as is it for teens to talk about these things?" —Allegra, 17
"I think these conversations can go really well for some girls, but my parents are not especially good at them. Right now, I am just super thankful for my older sister, the internet, and my best friends for always holding through the awkward s*x questions. Especially Seventeen.com, I don't know what I'd do without you." —Zoey, 13
Growing up, my friends and I talked about s*x ALL. THE. TIME. What celebs do you wanna do it with? Would it be cool to do it on a beach or awful (because ~sand~)? We whispered, day-dreamed, gossiped, and confided in each about our most thrilling, embarrassing, romantic, and not-so hot experiences, real and imagined.
But when it came to talk to my parents about s*x, the convo was def not the same.
Maybe your rents think it's time for *the talk* because they just met your first serious bae. Or you might bring it up yourself because you want birth control. That’s why I decided to ask teens around the world their experiences talking to their parents about s*x.
Here's what they had to say...
"I told both my parents immediately when I had s*x for the first time. I wanted them to know. I actually told them before I told my best friends! My mom was so helpful and kind about it, and just wanted to make sure I felt happy and comfortable before, during, and afterwards. I still appreciate the support she gave me." —Alana, 17
"I don't feel comfortable talking to my parents about s*x, but I have no issue talking to my older sister about it. I think as long as you're asking questions to ~someone~ out there, that's all that matters." —Tess, 16
"I don't speak to my parents about s*x or my s*xuality and I'm okay with it. It's not really part of our relationship, and I don't think it means we're not super close. We bond over other things, and I still love her more than anything." —Payton, 19
"I've had trouble speaking about most things regarding s*x and my s*xuality with my parents. They aren't mean or horrible people at all, it's just an awkward topic to talk about with 'older' people. Part of it might actually be generational. Millennials see the world from such a specific perspective, and 2017 is unlike any other time in history." —Rebecca, 16
"My parents would never ask me about s*x, because our relationship just really involve conversations like ~that~. But, that doesn't mean we're all not super close. Our conversations are more centered around school, college, friendships, and books than s*x or my s*xuality. Sometimes I actually wish they would inform me about s*x more often." —Allegra, 16
"I feel like ever since I came out, it's been really hard for me to speak to most people about my s*x life, parents included. My parents have been nothing but supportive of me coming out, but I feel very excluded from many conversations about s*x." —Kali, 19
"I love talking about s*x with my parents because I find that it's super informative and helpful. S*x can be confusing and complicated at times, and I find it helpful to talk to an adult about it all." —Dakota, 18
"My friends are my go-to people to talk about s*x. However, my mom did sit me down and explain to me how pregnancy works when I turned 13. It was informative, although I pretended that I thought it was weird. I think she thought I wasn't listening, but I still remember everything she taught me." —Elle, 19
"When I was in a relationship for the first time, my girlfriend really wanted to have s*x, but I had questions. Especially since everything is super heteronormative in the media, I was so confused! I knew it would be difficult to ask these kinds of questions to my parents, but I really wanted answers. So, one day after school I knocked on my mom's door and demanded a conversation about it all. She was SO helpful! I was of course so nervous to talk to my parents about s*x, but I realized after speaking with them that they were teens once themselves, and are only there to help you navigate the vast world of romance." —Charlotte, 19
"My boyfriend and I had been together for three years and I wasn't sure if I was ready to have s*x yet. I consulted my mom and older sister, and after talking through everything I realized I was ready. I don't think I could have reached that conclusion without their guidance and emotional support." —Maddie, 16
"My dad is actually really great at talking about s*x with me. He just listens, and answers questions as objectively as he can. I'm the only one I know who talks to their dad about s*x, but seriously, he's been really helpful in teaching me about my body, my life, and s*xuality." —Blair, 18
"My mom was really amazing when it came to talking to me about s*x. She was s*x-positive, informative, and encouraging. However, she never taught me about the emotional aspect of s*x. I wish she would have included more about the emotional implications of s*x in her 's*x talk.'" —India, 19
"The 's*x' convo came a little earlier for me than most because it happened naturally when I came out to them. I sat them down one day after school and demanded a conversation about my s*xuality. I was eleven and told them I liked girls. This convo quickly turned into a lecture about STDs/STIs, s*x, pregnancy, and things to worry about. I pretended not to listen, but I definitely ended up learning a lot from this conversation in the end." —Samantha, 19
"Speaking to my mom about s*x was actually really informative and helpful for me. I think it helped me understand my body more. I understand how it can be embarrassing and weird, but when I was in my first serious relationship I used to knock on her door after dates and just ask her questions about all the things I was thinking about. I had so many questions! After our conversations, I felt more informed, educated, and empowered by all the knowledge I gained." —Annie, 17
"I wish my mother would actually tell me more about s*x. I sometimes think she belittles me and treats me like a child, censoring certain conversations about s*x away from me. We've never really had a long conversation about s*x. I guess that's why I just go to the internet for information about s*x. Maybe it's just as embarrassing for parents as is it for teens to talk about these things?" —Allegra, 17
"I think these conversations can go really well for some girls, but my parents are not especially good at them. Right now, I am just super thankful for my older sister, the internet, and my best friends for always holding through the awkward s*x questions. Especially Seventeen.com, I don't know what I'd do without you." —Zoey, 13
