How Comfortable Are You To Talk To Your Kids About Sex?

In a recent survey, it was discovered that most parents in Singapore think an open discussion with their kids about sex is important, but less than half of them actually speak to them about it. The majority of these people think that a discussion about sexual health and contraception is also vital for their children to have a good understanding of it, but most of these people lack the confidence to do so.

The parents questioned were asked whether or not they spoke to their children about any aspect of sex, and how comfortable they were in doing so – over 80 percent of them said that the subject was an important one to discuss with them, but fewer than 50 percent had actually engaged in a conversation with their children. These results indicate that more than one-third of parents need to build more confidence in discussing the matter of sex with their kids – adolescents who said that they’d had premarital sex or unprotected sex were found to have poor communication with their parents regarding sex. Mothers, it seems, are more likely to discuss these matters with their children than fathers.

Previous studies into this matter have shown that the role parents play in developing a young person’s attitude towards sex is important. Those who talk to their parents about casual sex, contraception and premarital sex have a better understanding of these topics and therefore feel better prepared for engaging in sexual activity. This is one of the key ways to bring the numbers of sexually transmitted disease down. People who have sex with multiple partners without the right contraception are more likely to contract STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and genital herpes. If you are sexually active, it is important to be checked regularly for these conditions – if you think you may have symptoms, speak to your GP as soon as possible.