Holistic sex education in Australian schools is scarce. If education does take place, it’s limited to the bare essentials - how to put a condom on a banana, alongside various scare tactics surrounding the contraction of STI’S, HIV and unplanned pregnancy. In no way am I suggesting that the aforementioned topics are not important, (because they are) but what about all the other stuff? Communication skills (i.e. how to say no and how to say yes), consent, same-sex relationships and attraction, not to mention the fact that sex can be pleasurable and fun aren’t readily discussed. These essential topics are nowhere to be seen in the current curriculum and teenagers are often left to feel their way (pardon the pun!) through the ins and outs of sex and sexuality.
With this in mind, I believe it’s up to us as parents to lead the way and have the ability to sufficiently and confidently educate our children about sex and intimacy. (Aka ‘the talk’.) Easier said than done, right? It’s natural for parents to struggle with how to approach the topic in the ‘right’ way and the truth is, there is no ‘right’ way - you have to do what feels right for you as the parent.
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