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Now that I have your attention, a recent article noted that 50% of sexually active college students aren’t using condoms. And while teenagers likely use a condom their first time, they’re not consistent after that. Scary Stuff! That whole “it won’t happen to me” thinking is rampant.  Yet, of course we know it DOES happen.

So what’s a parent/guardian/concerned friend  to do?  Talking can be a good place to start, but how? Often resisting our natural instinct of  “let me tell you what to do”  is important. But its really hard to do, especially when we’re scared. Having a series of conversations that include: “Here’s what I believe and why it’s important to me” can be really helpful. We can’t make others see it our way.  If we offer our opinion and beliefs in the spirit of valuing their autonomy, they’re often much more open to listening…  hearing… and maybe even allowing our influence.  Respecting the reality that we’re really “not the boss of them” actually increases the the chances of our influence.  Ironic huh?!  Here’s the full article.   Your thoughts and feelings are important, feel free to leave a comment below.