Survey: What Teen Boys Think About Sex

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Moms, you might be surprised by a new survey about what guys think about sex.

That's What He Said, a new survey Seventeen and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, revealed some interesting insights into what guys 15-22 years old think about sex. Twelve hundred (1,200) boys and men were interviewed. Key insights included:

1. More than three-quarters (78%) agree that there is "way too much pressure" from society to have sex.

2. Two-thirds (66%) say they would rather have a girlfriend but no sex compared to only one-third (34%) who say they would prefer to have sex but no girlfriend.

Nearly three out of four (73%) say they have more respect for girls who say no to sex.

3. More than half (56%) say they are "relieved" when their female partner wants to wait to have sex.

4. Nearly 8 in 10 guys (78%) say their girlfriend influences their decisions about sex, and half (51%) say she has a lot of influence.

5. Two-thirds of guys (65%) who have talked to their parents about preventing pregnancy say it was helpful—unfortunately only slightly more than half (53%) report having had such conversations.

This last statistic should be a wake up call for parents. Don't buy into the lie that we don't have influence with our sons (and daughters.) We do. Unfornately, parents can miss--or avoid--the opportunity to talk to their kids about the tough, but oh-so-needed topics like sexual intimacy, choices, dating relationships, pornography and sexting.

What are you doing to make sure that you don't skip the important conversations with your teens?