We all remember that day too well. The most well-known, uncomfortable conversation to have with parents: ‘The Sex Talk.’
Parents sometimes start this dreadful conversation with the typical “birds and the bees story.” Every kid is aware of where this talk is going, but are parents just creating more of an awkward situation with their child than they have to?
Typically middle school through high school students are taught about sex in school, so that means parents could avoid this encounter, right?
Wrong.
It is hard to say if kids in middle school take this education very seriously considering I was too young to even remember learning about sex then.
Sex education tends to be taught around senior year of high school, but by then students have already begun to experiment with sex. Sexual activity can be very dangerous without the right education, and kids can be at high risk of contracting HIV or other STDs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “in the United States, 46% of high school students have had sexual intercourse and potentially are at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and pregnancy.”
Lack of education on the right protection and precautions can lead to pregnancy or a lifelong disease.
Teen pregnancy is becoming a bigger problem with young women due to the lack of sex education and not being aware of the risks until it is too late. Pregnancy is preventable with the education of birth control and condoms. Kids should not be taking care of kids.
Parents should not depend on the schools to educate their kids about sexual activity. Sex education is
not a requirement in public schools for all 50 states. Therefore, parents should encourage their kids to have safe sex and have ‘the talk’ whether it is weird or not.
