I grew up in a house where talking about sex was off-limits. But I don’t see it that way.
Part of becoming a healthy adult is figuring out how to talk about your needs, your health and your boundaries—even when it comes to sex. Open and honest communication is the key to any healthy relationship. If you grew up in a home where sex was a taboo subject, take some time to learn about how to talk about “it” and about your birth control options.
If your parents are opposed to you having sex, try to understand why. Are they worried about your safety? Is it against their values? Are they trying to protect you?
Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself what your values are and what role they’ll play in your life. They’ll probably align with your parents’ ideas in lots of ways, but may be different in others. The important thing is that if you choose to be sexually active, you protect yourself properly.
There’s also the possibility that sex isn’t really an off-limits topic. Parents can find it really awkward to talk about sex, too. If you’d like to talk to your parents about sex, here are some ways to get started.