For parents and caregivers:

WE UNDERSTAND THE HESITATION.

Giving your teen access to condoms or other sexual health resources can feel uncomfortable.

You may worry that providing protection sends the wrong message. That making condoms easier to access feels like giving permission. Or that talking about contraception suggests you expect your teen to have sex.

You may want your teen to wait. You may have strong personal or family values about sex. You may simply believe they aren't ready.

Those concerns deserve a place in this conversation.

Sexxus Nexxus isn't asking parents to abandon their values, lower their expectations, or encourage their teens to become sexually active.

We're asking a different question:

If they make a decision you hoped they wouldn't, do you want them protected?

IT'S NOT PERMISSION.

IT'S PROTECTION.

You can encourage your child to wait.

You can share your values.

You can set expectations.

You can keep the conversation open.

And you can make sure they have the information and resources to protect themselves if they make a different decision.

yOUR INFLUENCE MATTERS.

Providing information about sexual health doesn't mean stepping out of the conversation. In fact, parents and caregivers can play an important role in how young people think about relationships, sex, consent, responsibility, and protection.

Talking about condoms doesn't require you to say, “I think you should have sex.”

It can mean:

“I hope you'll wait. But if you make a different choice, I want you to know how to protect yourself.”

Both messages can exist at the same time.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH TELL US?

Talking about sexual health and providing access to protection does not have to undermine a parent's message about waiting.

This is where Sexxus Nexxus will feature a few clear, current statistics about:

Parent influence
How communication and parental expectations relate to adolescent sexual decision-making.

Sexual activity
What we actually know about when young people become sexually active and how those patterns have changed.

Protection
Condom and contraceptive use among sexually active adolescents.

Unintended pregnancy
How often adolescent pregnancies are unintended and why access before the moment of need matters.

Questions Parents and caregivers ask

You may still have questions, and that’s okay. Sexual health, parenting, and prevention can bring up a lot of concerns, especially when you’re trying to balance your values with your child’s safety.

We’ve answered some of the questions parents ask most often below. Our hope is that this section gives you clear, evidence-based information and helps make these conversations a little easier.

Two women, a mother and daughter, sitting on a gray couch and talking in a well-lit living room with a plant in the background.

  • No. Having access to protection is not the same as giving permission.

    Research has found that making condoms available does not cause teens to start having sex or have sex more often. What it can do is help young people protect themselves if they do become sexually active.

    You can still say, “I want you to wait.”

    You can also say, “If you make a different choice, I want you to be safe.”

    It’s not permission. It’s protection.

    Source: American Academy of Pediatrics: Barrier Protection Use by Adolescents

  • Tell them.

    Your expectations and values matter. Encouraging your teen to wait does not mean you have to avoid talking about condoms, contraception, or sexual health.

    Research shows that involved parents can make a difference. Teens whose parents know what is happening in their lives, set expectations, and stay engaged are less likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors.

    And when teens are sexually active, greater parental involvement is also linked with safer behaviors, including condom and contraceptive use.

    You do not have to choose between:

    “I hope you wait.”

    and

    “If you don’t, I want you protected.”

    You can say both.

    Source: Parental Monitoring and Its Associations With Adolescent Sexual Risk Behavior: A Meta-Analysis

  • Talking about sex does not mean approving of it.

    Research involving thousands of adolescents has found that parent-teen communication about sexual health is connected with safer sexual behavior, including greater condom and contraceptive use.

    The goal is not to tell your teen that they should have sex.

    The goal is to make sure they have someone they trust to help them think through the decisions they will eventually make for themselves.

    Talking about a decision is not permission to make it.

    Source: Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior — JAMA Pediatrics

  • We hope they do.

    A strong relationship with a parent or caregiver is one of the most valuable resources a young person can have.

    Research supports that. Parent communication, monitoring, and the overall quality of the parent-child relationship are all connected with safer adolescent sexual decision-making.

    But even teens who are close to their parents do not share every question, relationship, or decision.

    Sometimes embarrassment gets in the way. Sometimes they are afraid of disappointing you. And sometimes they simply find themselves in a situation where they have to make a decision on their own.

    Sexxus Nexxus is not designed to replace parents.

    It is there for the moments when a young person has to make a decision and you are not standing beside them.

    Sources:
    Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior

    How Can Parents Make a Difference? Longitudinal Associations With Adolescent Sexual Behavior

  • Be clear.

    You can say:

    “Talking about condoms doesn’t mean I’m telling you that you’re ready to have sex. I hope you’ll wait. But whenever you make that decision, I want you to know how to protect yourself and your partner.”

    That conversation matters for another reason.

    A major 2025 review found that one of the strongest factors connected with condom use was whether young people could talk with their partner specifically about using one.

    So you are not just teaching your teen what a condom does.

    You are helping them eventually feel comfortable saying:

    “We’re using protection.”

    Source: Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents — JAMA Pediatrics

  • Not always.

    One of the most important findings from recent research is that simply knowing about safer sex was not enough by itself to predict whether adolescents actually used condoms.

    What mattered more included whether a young person:

    • Planned to use a condom

    • Felt confident about using one

    • Had positive attitudes toward condoms

    • Could talk with their partner about protection

    • Had used a condom from the beginning of their sexual experiences

    That is why Sexxus Nexxus is about more than giving young people information.

    Knowing what to do and being prepared to do it are two different things.

    Source: Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents — JAMA Pediatrics

  • Because the first time matters.

    A 2025 review found that using a condom at first sex was strongly connected with condom use later.

    Intentions to use condoms and being able to communicate with a partner about condoms were also among the strongest factors related to condom use.

    Talking about protection before sexual activity begins gives your teen time to think about these decisions before they are making them in the moment.

    Talking early does not mean expecting sex to happen early.

    It means making sure preparation comes before the decision.

    Source: Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents — JAMA Pediatrics

  • That can absolutely remain part of your family's expectations.

    You can encourage your teen to wait while still teaching them about:

    Consent.
    Healthy relationships.
    Pregnancy prevention.
    STIs.
    Condoms.
    Contraception.
    Communication.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends discussing abstinence while also preparing adolescents with accurate information and safer-sex strategies for whenever they do become sexually active.

    Having a backup plan does not take away from your first plan.

    Source: American Academy of Pediatrics: Barrier Protection Use by Adolescents

  • Stay involved.

    Know their friends. Know where they are. Set expectations. Ask questions. Pay attention.

    Research shows that parental monitoring is associated with lower sexual risk among adolescents and with greater condom and contraceptive use among young people who are sexually active.

    But involvement should be more than surveillance.

    The goal is to stay connected enough that your teen still feels comfortable talking to you when something matters.

    Know what is happening in their life. And keep the door open for conversation.

    Source: Parental Monitoring and Its Associations With Adolescent Sexual Risk Behavior: A Meta-Analysis

  • Yes.

    A JAMA Pediatrics review looked at 31 randomized studies involving more than 12,000 young people who participated in sexual-health programs that involved parents.

    The programs improved:

    • Parent-child communication about sexual health

    • Condom use among adolescents

    Importantly, the programs did not significantly change whether adolescents delayed sexual activity.

    That is an important distinction for parents.

    Talking about sexual health and preparing young people to protect themselves can improve safer behavior without evidence that doing so encourages them to begin having sex.

    Source: Assessment of Parent-Based Interventions for Adolescent Sexual Health — JAMA Pediatrics

  • You do not have to approve of the decision to help them make the next decision more safely.

    This is a good time to talk about:

    • Consent

    • Healthy relationships

    • Pregnancy prevention

    • Condom use

    • STI testing

    • Birth control

    • Communication with their partner

    Try questions such as:

    “Do you feel comfortable telling your partner you want to use a condom?”

    “Would your partner respect you if you said no?”

    “Do you know where to get protection?”

    “Do you know where you could go for healthcare or STI testing?”

    Research shows that communication between partners about condoms is strongly connected with actually using them.

    The goal is not to argue about the decision that already happened.

    It is to help make the next decision safer.

    Sources:
    Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents — JAMA Pediatrics

    ACOG: Promoting Healthy Relationships in Adolescents

  • Sexual health is about much more than sexual activity.

    For younger teens, age-appropriate conversations may focus on:

    • Puberty

    • Boundaries

    • Consent

    • Body autonomy

    • Healthy relationships

    • Peer pressure

    • Online safety

    • Communication

    • Trusted adults

    As they get older, you can gradually add conversations about pregnancy prevention, STIs, contraception, and condoms.

    In a large review of parent-based sexual-health programs, the average age of participating young people was just over 12 years old. These programs improved communication between parents and children as well as safer-sex skills and behaviors.

    You do not need to give a 12-year-old every piece of information at once.

    The goal is to make sure accurate information grows with them.

    Sources:
    Assessment of Parent-Based Interventions for Adolescent Sexual Health — JAMA Pediatrics

    ACOG: Promoting Healthy Relationships in Adolescents

  • No.

    Condom access is one part of a much bigger picture.

    Research shows that safer sexual behavior involves more than simply knowing the facts. It involves intentions, confidence, communication, relationships, access, and the ability to act on what someone already knows.

    That is why Sexxus Nexxus is designed to connect young people with:

    Protection
    Making condoms easier to access and have available when needed.

    Information
    Providing accurate, reliable sexual-health information.

    Communication
    Helping young people talk about consent, relationships, and protection.

    Resources
    Connecting users with STI testing, contraception, emergency contraception, and other services.

    Care
    Helping users find appropriate healthcare when they need it.

    Sexxus Nexxus does not replace parents, healthcare providers, or education.

    It helps connect the pieces.

    Source: Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents — JAMA Pediatrics

  • Every family will feel differently about this.

    But carrying protection and deciding to have sex are two separate decisions.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics states that making condoms available to adolescents does not increase when they begin having sex or how frequently they have sex.

    Sexxus Nexxus was built around a practical question:

    If a young person has already decided to have sex, should not having a condom be the reason they do not use one?

    You may still wish they had made a different decision.

    We simply do not believe lack of protection should make that decision riskier.

    Source: American Academy of Pediatrics: Barrier Protection Use by Adolescents

  • Because parents matter.

    Your values matter.

    Your expectations matter.

    Your relationship with your teen matters.

    Your conversations matter.

    Decades of research show that parent communication and involvement are connected with safer sexual decision-making.

    Sexxus Nexxus is not asking parents to step aside.

    We want parents to stay in the conversation.

    Talk about your values.

    Set expectations.

    Encourage them to wait.

    Teach them about healthy relationships.

    Stay involved.

    And make sure that if they make a decision you hoped they would not make, they still know how to protect themselves.

    IT’S NOT PERMISSION.

    IT’S PROTECTION.

    Sources:
    Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior — JAMA Pediatrics

    Parental Monitoring and Its Associations With Adolescent Sexual Risk Behavior — Pediatrics

    Assessment of Parent-Based Interventions for Adolescent Sexual Health — JAMA Pediatrics

A man and boy sitting on the floor of a living room, having a serious conversation. The man is wearing a checked shirt, and the boy is wearing a brown hoodie.
A woman and a young man sitting on a bed engaged in a serious conversation indoors.