Parent-Child Communication Workshop

ACRIA's Talking About Sexuality With Your Teen workshops provide parents, guardians and other caretakers of adolescents with the knowledge and skills they need to communicate with their young ones about sexuality and HIV prevention.

The program marries best practices from the field with the voices of young people and their caretakers. Numerous research studies have found that adolescents who recall speaking with a parent or other caring adult about sex are more likely to report delayed sexual initiation and increased condom and contraceptive use. The program's evaluation efforts indicate significant improvements in the frequency and quality of communication as a result of participation in the Talking About Sexuality With Your Teen workshop.

Trained adult peer educators, including Spanish speakers, deliver Talking About Sexuality With Your Teen workshops for adult-only groups ranging from five to thirty people. The curriculum promotes open and accurate conversation about important topics related to sex and sexuality, including HIV, gender identity and sexual orientation, youth-friendly sexual health care, and prevention of STIs and unintended pregnancy. Interactive, group-based learning gives participants the opportunity to clarify their own perceptions, explore new trends in sexuality education, learn from and with other parents, and practice communication skills. The Talking About Sexuality With Your Teen workshop can be delivered in one or two 2-hour lessons, based on the needs and availability of participants.