It is a rainy Thursday afternoon. A mother sits in an overstuffed chair as she watches the raindrops dance on the windowpane. She sees the large, yellow school bus make a stop at the street corner and watches as the students exit the bus. Finally, a tall redheaded girl with bouncing curls and a beautiful smile steps out of the bus an onto the slippery, wet sidewalk. The mother is nervous with anticipation as her daughter, Cecilia runs toward the front door to escape the rain. Cecilia bursts through the door, relieved to be indoors where the rain cannot touch her.
"Sit down, Cecilia." the mother says. "I think it's time we have a discussion......."
I don't remember ever having "the talk" with my parents. Once I reached a certain age I think they just assumed I knew what sex was and that was that. Looking back, my parents were irresponsible for never having "the talk" with me. The first time I learned about STDs and STIs was in health class my freshman year of high school.
In my opinion "the talk" should include
1. Talking about contraceptives. Parents or guardians should address the different types of contraceptives. Condoms should be discussed because they protect against STDs and STIs. Parents should maybe even show their kids how to use a condom.
2. Talking about STDs, STIs and HIV. It is important for kids to understand the dangers of STDs and STIs. Parents should give specific examples of STDs and discuss how to prevent them.
3. Talking about respect and sex. Parents should stress the importance of being respectful to oneself and one's partner. I think parents should make sure that their child know that the choice to have sex is only theirs and they should never have sex if the feel pressured, unsure or uncomfortable. Parents should also stress the importance of being respectful to one's partner when it comes to sex.
I know that talking about sex can be uncomfortable for both the parent and the child but it is one of the most important conversations a parent and child can have.
