The Sex Talk Non-Existent for 20 Percent of Australian Teens: Survey

Sexual health advocates are calling for sex education to be required in Australian schools, citing a recent survey showing 20 percent of teens do not talk with their parents about sex. The survey, commissioned by Marie Stopes International (MSI), polled 1,000 Australian teenagers and their parents.

Among parents, 22 percent believed their teen was sexually active, but the survey found in fact 31 percent of teens reported having sex. Another 13 percent of parents admitted they would not know whether their child was sexually active. While 90 percent of parents said they are approachable about the topic of sex, just 70 percent of teens agreed.

About one in 10 teens said they did not receive sex education in school, said Jill Michelson of MSI. More than half of teens and parents rated the quality of sex education as average or below.

"To best support our teens, open communication, a solid sex education offering and a thorough understanding of their situation is vital - yet feedback from teenagers and their parents indicate that this is lacking in many cases," Michelson said.

Among teens, 45 percent did not know chlamydia can be symptomless, and three in 10 were unaware oral sex carries an STD risk.

"These findings suggest significant room for improvement in [STD] knowledge levels generally amongst teens and a need for stronger sex education and support programs in schools and the community for both teenagers and their parents," said Michelson.

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