Some of what I may say in this article will be graphic and it could offend someone but it is not meant to. Today I will be dealing with the subject of "Teen Sexual Habits."

Recently my daughter and her friend were sitting and discussing one of the parties they had been to. They were talking in the open so I am not breaking any type of confidence. I also have their permission to discuss this topic with all of our readers.

My daughter told of a young man who exposed himself right in front of everyone. He told her how much he wanted her. Right in front of all the other people. The kids just laughed it off. My daughters "birth sibling" brother was there and he didn't do a thing.

It is also important to mention that the young man so free with his body parts has been officially diagnosed with Herpes. He is registered with the school and with the county as a carrier.

I do not know what the world is coming to but this really alarmed me that someone could expose themselves and no one be upset or alarmed. My daughter and her friend just thought it was funny. However today when the school was teasing her about someone she had slept with, it was not so funny. She actually called and came home early because she could not take it.

Promiscuity is one of the things that is prominent in children who have been sexually abused or have low self esteem. I have dealt with this in raising my three oldest children. It never gets easier.

You cannot be with them all the time. You can not express to them enough the proper aspects of protected sex and how to make better decisions for themselves. You just have to be there for them as issues arise and mistakes happen. You also cannot blame yourself as a parent because their decision to obstain or to be sexually active is something they will make.

No parent can be there 24/7 for their pre adult child. The age of promiscuity is getting younger and younger also. So you have to be open and up front about sex and what diseases are out there to protect your child.

I will not be one of those parents who has a child come and say "Mom you didn't tell me." I have compiled a booklet of sexual diseases and I have shown them to my child when we have confronted issues of sexuality. Not as a scare tactic but as a reality check.

Sex is a beautiful thing between two people who love one another and are ready to take on the responsibilities that come along with it. I don't ever want my kids to be afraid of one of the most natural things God gave to us. But I do want them aware.

Kids with emotional and mental issues need to be reminded from time to time. Especially when we live in a day and time that people just expose themselves and have sex like it is as natural as playing a video game at the local party. They go off into other rooms and just "get their groove on" as my daughters friend explained. It's natural and fun. The in thing to do. Just like drinking and smoking a joint.

Either I need to join a convent or someone needs to tell me when open sex has become just a natural part of the party.

In a deeper conversation with a group of girls 12-16 years of age, we touched on the topic of sex. I was surprised as I interviewed them to find that more than 75% of the girls were already on some type of birth control.

When I asked what are your favorite ways to pass time? They answered me with listening to music, talking on the phone, getting it on with their boyfriend, basketball and just hanging out.

When I asked how much time do they spend with a parent, most of them replied as little as possible. Or only on weekends.

When I asked if they had goals for their life, most of the girls just giggled. A few had some positive answers about wanting to be a nurse or going into computer skills.

I finished the discussion and left feeling so sad. There just does not seem to be an in between. Either the children excel and are smart and they have goals, or they are doing poorly in school and they live their lives to hang out with their friends. Sex is just another fun thing to do. Drugs are recreation. There is no vision or hope for a better tomorrow.

So please be open with your kids and talk to them and let them know you only want them to make good choices for who they are. Explore their friends and know who they hang out with. Check their breath know if they are smoking or drinking. Be a friend when they need you to be there.

But don't be afraid to print off a picture of what herpes looks like in an outbreak or facts about HIV. That message may be enough to warn your child if they see a blister or bump on someone's privates. They will know not to sleep with that person unprotected. It is reality, not just a way to pass time.

If your daughter is old enough to have sex she is old enough for her first GYN appointment. She is old enough to be told about birth control and STDs. If your son has condoms, he is planning on using them when and if he gets the chance. Sit him down and tell him about his responsibility to his own body. Tell him what to look for when choosing a safe partner.

I wonder if the young man who has herpes in our area has a father who sat him down and told him what an STD like Herpes was? If so the child didn't listen and now he is out there infecting other kids who have no idea of his STD.

I was made aware of it when my daughter skipped school and had unprotected sex with him. They insisted my daughter be checked immediately. She now is a carrier. We do not know if she will ever have a breakout or not. She is often in denial herself that she has this issue. So I'm sure neither of them say, "Oh by the way baby I have herpes," before they so called get their groove on.

In our society no one can name names or expose people who have STDs because if they do they can be liable. It is time to EXPOSE your child so they are aware and can keep themselves safe.

It is all apart of parenting and they say parenting is for a life time. Use the truth and let your child live longer.