Discussing Sex With Your Child For Their Protection

Many parents are horrified and disappointed when they discover that their children want to discuss sex. Some even find out that their children are sexually active when it is something they thought their children did not know about. If you are a parent, it is important to discuss this topic with your child when they reach their adolescent years. Even if the topic is difficult for you to discuss with them, you might be able to utilize family planning information to get the discussion started. The following points will help you to understand why it is important to have this discussion with your child and realize that it is a topic you might have to discuss several times.

Contraceptives

Perhaps your child will be a child who decides that they want to have sex at an early age. Despite your best efforts to keep them from having sex, you likely cannot be with them 24/7. This means that there is a chance that they could still become sexually active. If you do not discuss sex with them in advance, they might not be familiar with contraceptives, or they might use them incorrectly. This can result in a number of issues. Contraceptives should be part of your discussion. Some parents are open-minded to providing contraceptives to their children especially if they know that they have had sex. This is something you should strongly consider, and a women health care facility could be beneficial if you explore this option. 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If you think that you would be horrified to find out your child is having sex, think of how you would feel if you found out they contracted an STD at an early age. This is why it is important to be thorough in your discussions about sex. Keep in mind that some STDs can only be treated and not cured. That is a stiff penalty to pay when a discussion could have helped your child protect themselves or practice abstinence because of known consequences. 

Pregnancies

Unfortunately, some people attribute teen pregnancies to females. However, it is a two-sided situation. This means that teen mothers and teen fathers lives can be adversely affected by teen pregnancies. There are options for pregnancies such as adoption or abortion, but many teens think that they can handle parenthood because they do not fully understand the responsibilities involved. Both boys and girls should be educated on the proper use of condoms as a means of protection against STDs and an extra layer of protection against unwanted pregnancies.


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