Experts say talking frankly to your kids about sex and keeping a close eye on their friends and extracurricular activities are key ways to help prevent pregnancies. Now, a new study reveals another potential factor: TV. Teens who watched the most television with sexual content were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy during the following three years as those who watched the least, according to a recent Rand Corporation survey of roughly 2,000 kids ages 12 through 17.
Banning Gossip Girl may be unrealistic, but lead researcher and behavioral scientist Anita Chandra, DrPH, says it helps if parents “get smart about the TV shows their kids are seeing and watch with them.” Dr. Chandra recommends visiting the websites of organizations that monitor these shows’ content, like Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org).
“Watching with your teen can create opportunities to talk about sex, its emotional and physical consequences, and the risks and responsibilities associated with it,” Dr. Chandra says. “And the more you know about the shows beforehand, the more prepared you’ll be to talk to your teen about it.” You can start a discussion about how the characters are dealing with the issue—say, “So what do you think of so-and-so’s decision to have (or not to have) sex with her boyfriend?”