What should parents know about having this conversation with their own children? "This is the kind of conversation [where you need to be] calm, listening a lot, asking questions, hear opinions and giving them your thoughts and feelings," Dr. Berman says.

Get all the questions you should ask a teen who may become sexually active.

Whether you have boys at home or girls, Dr. Berman says the information you give needs to be the same. "Boys are under a tremendous amount of pressure as well," Dr. Berman says. "I think we really have to pay attention to that, too, and give them both the same information—the same lack of permission or permission—as the case may be and the same resources."

Download Dr. Berman's handbook for talking to your kids about sex at every age

Learn more about helping your children make healthy sexual decisions