By Majella Wiemers
New research shows the sexual habits of the nation's younger generation are more explicit and experimental than ever before. It's a whole new world for your teen — how will you prepare them for this difficult stage of their life?
Most young people learn about sex from sources such as pornography, according to author and researcher Joan Sauers who has spent two years researching the sexual habits of younger Australians.
"Most kids are still hearing about sex not from their parents but from other kids in the playground. From other sources that aren't really reliable," Joan says.
Teenager Tom agrees that the school yard is the primary source of knowledge for most kids his age. "It's all through your mates and stuff. Just passed around like that really," he says.
Joan says the average teenager is 16 years old when they have sex for the first time.
Around 30 percent admit to having phone sex.
"When I asked if they had ever sent or received sexual text messages it jumped to about 70 percent," says Joan.
But the real surprise in the survey is the range of sexual activities that much younger teens are participating in on a regular basis.
More than 50 percent of 12-year-old girls had seen pornography and that number jumped to 65 percent for boys in the same age group.
"What's usual now didn't even exist when we were teenagers," says Joan.
"What's different now is in addition to music videos and all the other sort of sexy stuff they're getting very, very hard-core stuff that I don't believe most of their parents realise they are looking at."
For parents, it can be a nightmare but as some argue, it's part of the job.
"Sex education from parents is no longer an optional extra, it's a must," says Joan.
"Parents should really know what's going on," says mum Vicki. "But not a lot of parents know what's going on".
"I think there's a lot more choice and a lot more risk available to kids today and they need to be a lot more careful compared to when we were running about," says dad Steven.
Joan says it's not all bad news.
"What they said they want for their sex lives to be better was a stronger emotional connection," she says.
