Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/468715
20 Hudson Valley Parent ■ March 2015 comprises a wide range of topics including relationships, bodies and body image, reproduction, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and preventing pregnancy and STDs. "Our aim is to encourage parents to talk with their children about sexuality and relationships, and provide resources to facilitate these conversations," Moore says. "We en- courage teens to start conversations with their parents or other trusted adults, and deepen the public's un- derstanding of Planned Parenthood's role as a sex education provider and resource." If you want to bring up the discus- sion yourself, Moore advises seizing on teachable moments that naturally present themselves. If you're watch- ing a movie with your adolescent and a sex scene comes on, don't automatically change the channel — it will only make your child curious. A good option is to either pause the movie or bring it up later and insert your values into the conversation. "You can say to your child, hey, did you notice they weren't using protection in that scene?" Moore says. "Once you've had a couple of these conversations, your child will feel more comfortable asking you about things they hear on the school bus or from friends, because you've talked about it before and didn't freak out. Even if you're freaking out on the inside," she says. You can also bring books and pamphlets home to get conversa- tions going. Although it may be awk- ward, the more accurate information your kids have, the more able they will be to make healthy decisions. "How old was your child when you fi rst told him cigarettes were yucky?" Moore says. "If you talk to them about that throughout their lives, when it comes time for them to de- cide whether or not to smoke, you'll hopefully be sitting on their shoulder as they make that decision." If you don't know an answer to a question, tell your child that — and then look it up together. This will build trust and present the opportu- nity to help your child learn how to weed out accurate and inaccurate information when looking for infor- mation about sexuality online. If you're having trouble navigat- ing these waters on your own, there are resources that can help. Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley now offers a texting hotline specifi cally for teens that provides medically accurate answers to ques- tions they text in. "ICYC: In Case You're Curious is a free sexual health textline for teens," Moore says. "All they have to do is text PPMHV to 57890. They'll receive a confi rmation text. Then they text their questions whenever they have them. They'll receive a response within 24 hours." Elora Tocci is a freelance writer and communications manager for Teach For America in New York City. PLANNED PARENTHOOD (Continued from Page 19) WORKSHOPS: Planned Parenthood hosts 90-minute parent workshops entitled "Let's Talk: Adolescent Development & Sexual Health." Visit us online to view a list of upcoming dates at hvparent.com/ planned-parenthood-workshops. Planned Parenthood Kingston Youth Health Promoters Alexcis Moses and Joshua Hulslander provide reproductive and sexual health information to teens, parents and adults at a local health fair. "Once you've had a couple of these conversations, your child will feel more comfortable asking you about things they hear on the school bus or from friends, because you've talked about it before and didn't freak out. Even if you're freaking out on the inside." — Jessie Moore, Planned Parenthood