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Many parents believe that they should be the primary sex educators for their children, and research has shown that parents' beliefs about sex can influence their children's behavior. Investigators used two large national data sets to examine trends in adolescents' reports of discussions with parents about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and birth control between 1988 and 2002.
The percentage of female adolescents (age range, 15–17 years) who reported discussions about STIs and birth control increased from 42% in 1988 to 58% in 1995 but then decreased to 44% in 2002. In 2002, 35% of female adolescents reported no discussions with parents about either topic; Hispanics were more likely to report no discussions (40%) than whites (34%) or …