“Yeah, doing things with somebody I just met, someone I didn’t know at all. Also, I had sex with my friend’s boyfriend.”
Girl, 15

“Yeah, the first time, because it’s a whole new experience.”
Girl, 15

“I feel a little bit tainted, especially if it’s a random hookup. I feel slutty.”
Girl, 15

Have you been to or are you aware of teen sex parties?
Yes....20
No......80

“I think sex parties are a little ridiculous, because sex is a more intimate thing.”
Girl, 17

“I’ve never been to one, but there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Girl, 17

“Hell, no.”
Girl, 15

“Yes, I’ve been to sex parties where people were touching each other’s private parts and doing wrong things.”
Girl, 16

“I've heard of them happening and find them amusing. The idea of them is ridiculous. I don’t understand why someone would go to one.”
Boy, 15

“No, but I’ve seen them on TV.”
Boy, 14

“They happen in the suburbs. I would never go to one.”
Girl, 17

Are you open with your parents about sex?
Yes......................35
To an extent...19
No........................46

“I steer away from that topic. For them it’s either ‘Wait until you love someone’ or clichés.”
Girl, 15

“They completely disapprove because they think teens aren’t ready to make the right decisions.”
Girl, 16

“They’re cool with it. They know it’s part of life.”
Boy, 16

“My mom found condoms in my drawer and said, ‘I want you safe,’ and that’s the only thing she’s talked about.”
Boy, 17

“I kind of opened up to them that I should go to the doctor and get checked. My father wished I had waited until marriage. My mom was cool about it.”
Girl, 17

“I wouldn’t tell them I had sex. I wouldn’t be like, ‘Hey, guess what I did yesterday’ to my mom”
Girl, 16

“We don’t discuss it, but they know. They’ve offered me birth control and contraceptives.”
Girl, 17

“They know I have a girlfriend in France, so it’s ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.’ ”
Boy, 16

“Not so much. They’ve had the sex talk with me a couple of times. Like, ‘Always use protection and wait until you’re absolutely sure about the person.’ ”
Girl, 15

“No, I’m not open with them about anything. I take care of those things on my own.”
Girl, 17

“No, not at all. I have a Hispanic family and they want me to wait until I’m married.”
Girl, 15

“My mom talks as if it’s ‘going to happen’ instead of ‘has happened,’ which makes it really hard.”
Girl, 16

“All they said was, ‘Keep your pecker in your pants.’ ”
Boy, 17

“My father tells me stories about his youth and scolds me for not having as much sex as he did.”
Boy, 18

What do your parents think about teen sex?
“They’re fine with it. They were having a lot more sex than I am at my age.”
Girl, 17

“They’re open about it and think it’s healthy. Have experiences when you’re younger.”
Girl, 17

“My mom’s okay with it, she just gives me condoms.”
Girl, 15

“That I should wait until marriage. We’re Christians.”
Girl, 17

“Sexual intercourse they wouldn’t want me to, but oral sex they would be okay with.”
Boy, 14