Whether they believe it or not, parents have a very important influence on whether their teenagers become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. Although teen culture may often seem to be little more than a blur of bare midriffs and over-the-top sexual innuendo, parents need to know that when it comes to young people's decisions about sex, their influence has not been lost to peers and popular culture. They are powerful and they can use this power in sound, helpful ways.

This is the theme of the National Campaign publication, Parent Power: What Parents Need to Know and Do to Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy. As the title suggests, Parent Power offers good news for parents and those who work with, care for, and write about, young people. Parent Power compiles much of what is known about parental influences and offers parents practical things they can do to help their children delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy. The simple and compelling message of Parent Power is that families matter. A lot.

• Read Parent Power
  PDF in English
  PDF in Spanish
  Order print copies
  
• Review polling data in The Parent Gap: Teen Pregnancy and Parental Influence.
  
• Take the Parent Power quiz.
  
• Making a presentation or speech? Use this Parent Power Powerpoint.
  
• Parent Power in the News:
  • Baltimore Sun
  • Washington Post
    
• Informacion en Espanol:
  • Consejos a los Padres
  • Lea mas informacion aqui