Sex Education that Works
“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.
The lack of communication between parents and their daughters is one of the biggest problems girls are facing today; in fact, girls find it very difficult to talk to their parents about issues that are affecting their lives on a day-to-day basis. Many of them really want to talk to their parents on sex-related topics, but the minute anything that has to do with comes out of their mouths, their parents automatically put themselves in a defense mode and turn their girl’s questions into accusations. The first thing parents think when they are asked about sex is that their girls are having a sexual relationship or they are pregnant. Parents automatically jump to conclusions without even thinking about it. Furthermore, these kinds of parents accusations will eventually turn off their girls, and as a consequence they go to the next best thing, their friends, and what parents do not take into consideration is that sex education has to start at home.
Sex education that works start early and at home, but sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their girls. What is important for parents is to maintain an open mind in order to gain their daughter’s trust, and provided them with opportunities to ask questions related to a sexual relation. However, when to start? The precise age at which information about sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the young girls, as well as their level of understanding. It is important not to delay providing information to girls but to begin when they are young. At this age, girls can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults. It is also important for girls to be in touch with information related to viruses and germs that attack the body. Even if parents believe that young girls should not have sex until they are married, this does not imply withholding important information about sex and contraception. Rather than trying to frighten young girls away from having sex, effective sex education includes work on attitudes and beliefs, coupled with skills development that enables young girls to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship, taking into account the potential risks of any sexual activity.
Nowadays young girls can get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including advertising, television and magazines, as well as books and websites. Society has changed drastically; for instance, it is normal for young girls to see in the streets women who sell their bodies in order to get some money, and it can affect them negatively because they can take it as a concept about what a sexual relation is. Thus, to avoid negatively consequences, sex education has to start at home in order to provide young girls with an opportunity to explore the reasons why people have sex, and to think how it involves emotions, respect for oneself and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies.
Elaborated By:
Pérez Stephanie
Rojas Mayerlyn
“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.
The lack of communication between parents and their daughters is one of the biggest problems girls are facing today; in fact, girls find it very difficult to talk to their parents about issues that are affecting their lives on a day-to-day basis. Many of them really want to talk to their parents on sex-related topics, but the minute anything that has to do with comes out of their mouths, their parents automatically put themselves in a defense mode and turn their girl’s questions into accusations. The first thing parents think when they are asked about sex is that their girls are having a sexual relationship or they are pregnant. Parents automatically jump to conclusions without even thinking about it. Furthermore, these kinds of parents accusations will eventually turn off their girls, and as a consequence they go to the next best thing, their friends, and what parents do not take into consideration is that sex education has to start at home.
Sex education that works start early and at home, but sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their girls. What is important for parents is to maintain an open mind in order to gain their daughter’s trust, and provided them with opportunities to ask questions related to a sexual relation. However, when to start? The precise age at which information about sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the young girls, as well as their level of understanding. It is important not to delay providing information to girls but to begin when they are young. At this age, girls can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults. It is also important for girls to be in touch with information related to viruses and germs that attack the body. Even if parents believe that young girls should not have sex until they are married, this does not imply withholding important information about sex and contraception. Rather than trying to frighten young girls away from having sex, effective sex education includes work on attitudes and beliefs, coupled with skills development that enables young girls to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship, taking into account the potential risks of any sexual activity.
Nowadays young girls can get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including advertising, television and magazines, as well as books and websites. Society has changed drastically; for instance, it is normal for young girls to see in the streets women who sell their bodies in order to get some money, and it can affect them negatively because they can take it as a concept about what a sexual relation is. Thus, to avoid negatively consequences, sex education has to start at home in order to provide young girls with an opportunity to explore the reasons why people have sex, and to think how it involves emotions, respect for oneself and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies.
Elaborated By:
Pérez Stephanie
Rojas Mayerlyn
Sánchez Fernando
