Sexual Health

“An important aspect of raising sexually healthy children
is communication, starting at infancy. This communication creates closeness and trust between you and your child,
and creates opportunities to share your values.”

Dr. Barry Zuckerman, Chief of Pediatrics
Boston Medical Center
Raising Healthy Kids®: Families Talk About Sexual Health

What is sexual health? Some adults think it relates only to sexual intercourse. But sexual health is who you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How you communicate with your children plays a big role in their development as healthy, responsible adults.

“Whether it’s using the actual names of their body parts,” says Dr. Zuckerman, “or not telling them that babies come from storks, that’s setting the stage for continued communication throughout adolescence.”

Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Your words and actions show children that they are loved and valued, and that they deserve to be treated with respect. When you communicate effectively with your children, you are preparing them to make smart choices that will help keep them safe.

Many parents find that talking with their children about sexuality is challenging. Most parents say they need help to do so effectively.

Being able to talk openly with his dad allowed Judd to deal with the confusion he felt during puberty. “Every once in a while my voice would crack,” he says. “I’d wonder, ‘Geez, what’s going on with my body?’ It helped that my dad explained things to me. When I started to grow hair on my face, he got all excited. It was a big ‘Dad moment.’ He taught me how to shave. If we weren’t comfortable talking about everything else, that wouldn’t have happened.”

Vanessa knows that her parents will always tell her the truth. So she freely talks with them. “If your parents are clued in to what you’re doing, and you can talk with them,” she says. “they can give you advice. I need someone to turn to who has more experience than I do. Someone who has my best interest at heart.”

Remember: When parents talk openly with their kids about sexuality – and their conversations include topics such as birth control, condoms, and reproduction – their kids are more likely to delay sexual intercourse and to use protection when they do have sex.1

Read Issues and Answers at wordscanwork.com for more about this topic.

1. Miller, K.S., Levin, M.L., Whitaker, D.J., and Xu, X., “Patterns of Condom Use Among Adolescents: The impact of maternal-adolescent communication,” American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 88, pp. 1542-1544, 1998.

© 2006 Blake Works, Inc.

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