The Straits Times
Published on Oct 13, 2012

Parents should talk to children about sex: Experts


How should parents answer their children when they ask difficult sex-related questions such as "What is oral sex?"

A few parents were stumped when their children brought up the subject recently in the light of some current events.Some of them whom SundayLife! spoke to will use current affairs to check what their children know, where they have learnt the term from and how to address the issue.

Parents cannot abdicate their job as educators, say family life and counselling experts. The responsibility is all the greater these days, given that children have easy access to all kinds of media sources where they may learn misleading information and adopt a more casual attitude towards sex as they grow older.

Research shows that children who discuss sexuality issues with their parents are less likely to engage in "risky sexual activities" than those who do not do so, says Dr Nirmala Karuppiah, an early childhood lecturer at the National Institute of Education.