TABLE 3.
Relative timing of talks (parent- and child- reported) and first sexual intercourse (child-reported), by topic and child gender
| Boys | Girls | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | Parent- Reported talks |
Children- Reported talks |
Parent- Reported talks |
Children- Reported talks |
|
| What qualities are important in choosing close friends |
Talk before act |
86.7% | 84.8% | 97.4% | 94.4% |
| Talk after act |
0.0% | 6.1% | 1.3% | 4.2% | |
| Homosexuality/People being gay |
Talk before act |
85.2% | 66.7% | 95.8% | 91.7% |
| Talk after act |
1.4% | 23.2% | 1.4% | 6.7% | |
| How boys’ bodies change physically as they grow up |
Talk before act |
82.4% | 78.8% | 85.9% | 71.3% |
| Talk after act |
7.4% | 14.8% | 12.1% | 26.1% | |
| How women get pregnant and have babies |
Talk before act |
77.3% | 80.6% | 94.3% | 89.8% |
| Talk after act |
9.7% | 11.0% | 2.9% | 6.8% | |
| Consequences of getting pregnant/getting someone pregnant |
Talk before act |
77.7% | 79.1% | 93.2% | 89.2% |
| Talk after act |
10.4% | 6.3% | 2.7% | 5.4% | |
| Reasons why your child should not have sex |
Talk before act |
75.8% | 74.7% | 92.7% | 89.0% |
| Talk after act |
13.2% | 14.4% | 4.4% | 7.3% | |
| How girls’ bodies change physically as they grow up |
Talk before act |
73.2% | 69.9% | 91.7% | 92.4% |
| Talk after act |
17.9% | 24.2% | 5.5% | 6.1% | |
| How your child will make decisions about whether or not to have sex |
Talk before act |
71.0% | 75.5% | 88.7% | 84.5% |
| Talk after act |
15.6% | 14.0% | 8.1% | 11.6% | |
| Menstruation (having menstrual periods) |
Talk before act |
69.1% | 62.1% | 92.9% | 94.2% |
| Talk after act |
22.0% | 31.1% | 4.3% | 2.9% | |
| How people can prevent getting STDs |
Talk before act |
66.7% | 74.5% | 85.1% | 78.2% |
| Talk after act |
21.6% | 17.5% | 11.2% | 19.4% | |
| How well condoms can prevent STDs |
Talk before act |
68.0% | 63.8% | 79.3% | 73.9% |
| Talk after act |
20.1% | 27.6% | 20.8% | 20.9% | |
| How to ask someone out on a date |
Talk before act |
63.4% | 60.3% | 65.2% | 50.6% |
| Talk after act |
26.4% | 39.7% | 29.5% | 45.6% | |
| How well birth control can prevent pregnancy |
Talk before act |
62.4% | 59.8% | 80.7% | 71.7% |
| Talk after act |
26.5% | 30.1% | 16.9% | 21.2% | |
| How your child will know if he/she is in love |
Talk before act |
61.0% | 66.6% | 78.8% | 72.2% |
| Talk after act |
31.9% | 22.6% | 11.8% | 22.8% | |
| Masturbation | Talk before act |
59.3% | N/A | 58.4% | N/A |
| Talk after act |
29.0% | N/A | 41.6% | N/A | |
| The importance of not pressuring other people to have sex |
Talk before act |
55.9% | 61.3% | 70.3% | 73.3% |
| Talk after act |
34.0% | 22.9% | 24.7% | 24.0% | |
| Wet dreams | Talk before act |
57.5% | 67.4% | 39.9% | N/A |
| Talk after act |
35.2% | 32.6% | 60.1% | N/A | |
| Reasons why people like to have sex |
Talk before act |
53.6% | 62.2% | 64.1% | 73.9% |
| Talk after act |
39.3% | 31.0% | 30.4% | 23.5% | |
| How to say no if someone wants to have sex and your child doesn’t want to |
Talk before act |
50.4% | 60.7% | 79.4% | 75.9% |
| Talk after act |
34.8% | 30.3% | 16.5% | 19.3% | |
| What it feels like to have sex | Talk before act |
50.0% | 35.8% | 63.6% | 55.8% |
| Talk after act |
42.3% | 64.2% | 36.4% | 40.5% | |
| Symptoms of STDs | Talk before act |
45.6% | 60.3% | 67.8% | 69.5% |
| Talk after act |
40.0% | 29.2% | 32.2% | 30.5% | |
| How to use a condom | Talk before act |
43.4% | 37.1% | 46.8% | 41.1% |
| Talk after act |
50.5% | 63.0% | 49.4% | 58.9% | |
| How to choose a method of birth control |
Talk before act |
41.3% | 33.2% | 55.2% | 57.5% |
| Talk after act |
45.5% | 56.5% | 38.4% | 39.0% | |
| What to do if a partner doesn’t want to use a condom |
Talk before act |
29.5% | 50.4% | 57.7% | 62.9% |
| Talk after act |
66.9% | 41.5% | 42.3% | 37.1% | |
*
In this table, Talk before act and Act before Talk do not sum to 100% because of children for whom both occurred in the same reporting period and children for whom neither the talk nor the act has occurred (“ambiguous”)