Families Talking Together
Families Talking Together (FTT) is an evidence-based program designed to help caregivers talk to adolescents aged 10-14 about the prevention of sexual risk behaviors, healthy relationships, refusal skills, and preventing unplanned pregnancy. FTT promotes caregivers as the primary sexual educator focusing on building healthy communication within the family.
Program Goals
- Help caregivers reduce/prevent youth risk behaviors
- Help caregivers develop positive parenting techniques
- Help promote effective parent-adolescent communication skills
- Help caregivers teach adolescent assertiveness to avoid risky behaviors
- Help caregivers promote delayed sexual debut
Promoting parents and caregivers as primary sexual educators.
Program Features
- One-on-one parent/caregiver sessions with a trained facilitator
- Free materials (parent modules and materials for youth)
- Parent communication activities
- Support and feedback
A family-based program designed to support communication.
Why YOU as the caregiver should talk to your young person about sex
Health risks from having sex too early
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) including HIV/AIDS
- Early dropout rates
Data
- Positive parent-child communication is associated with delayed sexual initiation and reduced risk behaviors among adolescents.
- A teen gives birth in the U.S. about every 4 minutes.
- Nearly half of all newly diagnosed STI’s occur among young people ages 15-24.
- Teen parenthood is associated with lower educational attainment and reduced economic opportunities.
- Oklahoma ranks 6th-highest in the United States for teen births which is consistently higher than the national average.
How YOU can make a difference
Parents and caregivers really can make a difference in helping youth stay healthy and make positive choices. Studies show that youth who have at least one trusted adult in their lives are less likely to participate in risky behaviors and are more likely to delay sexual initiation. Many parents and caregivers underestimate the pivotal role they play in decision making when it comes to the adolescents in their lives. Having open and honest conversations about difficult topics such as sex can help keep your young person on a path to success.
Contact Information
Jennifer Wiens, Parent Education Specialist
Email: Jennifer.Wiens@health.ok.gov
Phone: (405) 982-4627
