Ready? Let’s talk about sex now

Matters of sex often elicit curiosity and condemnation in almost equal measure.

But sex is only one aspect of human sexuality, which is as critical to our health as the food we eat — it is what enables the continuation of the human race, and if not properly handled, it may lead to the death of a generation.

When parents ignore the discussion about human sexuality with their children, they do more harm than good because children end up learning about sexuality from the TV, Internet or friends, and what they learn is more harmful than good.

Many factors have been identified as potential barriers to sex education by parents and these include:

1. In some cultures and religions, it is a taboo for adults to discuss sex and sexuality with children.

2. Many parents perceive their children as being too young to learn about sexuality.

3. A lot of parents lack the knowledge and skill to carry out sex education, especially when it comes to bringing up the topic.

4. In many societies, sex education is done by the parent of the same sex as the child, hence mothers will talk to their daughters and fathers their sons. In single-parent families, this becomes a problem if the parent is not of the same sex as the child.

5. Some parents feel that sex education is the sole responsibility of the education system.

6. The perception that sex education may have a negative effect, resulting in an increase in sexual activity, especially in adolescents.

Perhaps what parents need to clearly understand is that sex education is not just about sex, it encompasses all aspects of human sexuality including:

Human anatomy and development.

Reproduction.

Reproductive health.

Reproductive rights.

Family planning.

Sexual behaviour.

Social and emotional interaction.