Campaign urges parents to talk to kids about sex

NORMAN — Marcus Guinn’s mother was only 14 years old when he was born. He was raised by his grandmother, who’d also had her children as a teen.

Teen pregnancy was a cycle in Guinn’s family and a culture that he decided would end with him. As a young man, he vowed to stay abstinent until marriage. He and his wife kissed for the first time on their wedding day.

Guinn said it was important for him to wait.

"I’m not saying everyone should wait to kiss until they’re married,” but it’s a real-life example that waiting is possible, he said.

An Oklahoma City native, Guinn now travels across the country with Parents Speak Up, a national campaign that teaches parents to talk to their children about sex and encourages them to share their values.

Jason spokesman for Parents Speak Up, said the goal of the campaign is to reduce pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease among America’s youths.

"Parents have this perception that kids don’t listen to them,” Flynn said, "but parents are the biggest influences in their children’s lives.”

The program isn’t an abstinence campaign, said Flynn. It’s a parental involvement campaign.

"Parents need to talk to their kids early and often about sex,” Guinn said. "This campaign encourages, empowers and motivates parents to get involved in their children’s lives at an early age.

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