Breaking the Hush Factor: Ten Rules for Talking with Teenagers about Sex

"A go-to guide for parents who are looking to prepare their pre-teens or teens with information and support to create sexually healthy lives."
- Debby Herbenick, PhD, Associate Professor at Indiana University and Author of Sex Made Easy

"Breaking the Hush Factor is a joy to read! Dr. Karen Rayne is a trusted, expert authority on speaking with children about sex and sexuality. Her voice is caring and compassionate as she guides parents with practical tips and common sense advice for starting “the talk” and keeping them going. Parents will want to read this. Parents need to read this."
- Bill Taverner, MA, CSE, Executive Director, The Center for Sex Education

"A powerful message to parents, straight from the heart of a mother and sexuality educator. Breaking the Hush Factor means listen more, talk less, reach out for community, and seize your golden chance to help your kids develop sexual intelligence that will last them a lifetime—perhaps even save their lives."
- Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT, Award-winning author of Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy

Breaking the Hush Factor is a new kind of parenting book. It isn’t only for parents, it doesn’t make assumptions about gender or sexual orientation, and it won’t scare you. Instead, you’ll find ten concrete rules to strengthen your relationship with your teenager so that you can start to talk about sex. Because most people have sex and everyone needs to talk about sex. Teenagers have adults in their lives who can help them. Breaking the Hush Factor will teach those adults how.

Dr. Karen Rayne began her work in education almost two decades ago and her work with parents of teenagers almost ten years ago. Since then she has been working in her local community, as well as nationally and internationally, to support parent-teen conversations about sex and sexuality. She has worked with parents, youth, and professionals on this topic. Her primary goal is to support families in building relationships that hold solid and true from the fun times through the hard times and everything in between. Sexuality is all of these things, and so conversations about them must also be.