Here are some things that can go wrong in the conversation, along with some things that you can try to help prevent things from going wrong.

Number one:
When talking to your teen about sex the one thing that we need to think about is their maturity level. How mature your teen is will depend on how serious they will take the conversation. All too often young teen boys will laugh and giggle whenever the topic comes up and young teen girls will act scared or nervous. If this is, a problem that you are facing when trying to talk to your teen about sex the best thing that you can do is to have a book that you trust and show it to your teen. Point out specific pages and areas in the book that you want your teen to read and leave them alone to spend some time reading and exploring the book. Tell your teen that once they are done you will sit down and talk about what they read and answer any questions that they might have. You can continue on with this process for as long as it takes to get your teen to know everything that you want them to know about sex.

Number two:
If you and your teen are dealing with other issues or your teen is unusually moody or angry every time you try to talk to them about sex, this can make it even more difficult to talk to them about sex or anything else. If the problem is only temporary because you are currently dealing with other issues, give your teen some time before you try talking to them about sex. On the other hand, if it is a more permanent problem, such as your relationship with your teen, you will need to have another trusted adult have the conversation with them, while you are working on repairing the problems in your relationship.

Number three:
Many teenagers have the feeling that what you are telling them about sex is something that they already know, at least in their eyes. If this is, the problem that you are dealing with all that you need to do is start talking about issues of sexual conduct, such as using a condom to prevent AIDS. Ask your teen if they feel that it is a good idea or if it doesn't matter. The sex talk does not stop with the details of sex, your family values about sex need to be discussed too. Once your teen realizes they do not know everything that there is to know about sex you can fill them in on the finer points.

Number four:
When you are talking to your teen, they don't even say much more than hmm or yeah. Teens that do this are the ones that like to keep private matters private; they do not like talking about things. The best thing that you can do is to immediately put them at ease by reassuring them that they do not have to share anything private. You just want them to be comfortable coming to you and asking any questions or talking about any concerns that they might have.