SEXUALITY EDUCATION

**Maryann had just turned 13 and was very happy to finally become a teenager. it felt like a huge accomplishment, one she really wanted to celebrate. When her neighbor Gary, a 17yr old university student asked to take her to a nearby eatery, she jumped at the opportunity. Tunde was kind and had always been nice to her.

Maryann, @ 13 had small rounded breasts and her body was beginning to fill out into curves like that of a woman. She noticed the changes in her body, but was a little bit shy to talk about them with anybody, certainly not her mother!
On the evening of her birthday, when she got back from school, she changed into what she thought could pass as 'date-clothes' and snuck out of the house.

The date with Gary went very well. He complimented her, made her feel beautiful and was very easy to talk to. She thought this must be what falling in love felt like. The time passed too quickly and when He asked her to his house, she was all too eager. Her mother wouldn't notice her absence yet and her father wouldn't be back until later.

When Gary started to rub his palm up and down her arms, she thought she felt tingles. Nothing on earth could feel that good. well that's what she thought until he kissed her. They were sitting on the only sofa in his small room, but she was somewhere close to heaven. She had heard some classmates and seniors talk about kissing a man but she didn't really know anything about it. Now she did, she wanted more. Her mother had always told her it was painful and disgusting, but she didn't feel pain, neither was she disgusted.

When Gary pushed up her skirt and ran his hand on the inside of her thigh, close to the throbbing knob at her center, she knew she should stop him but she couldn't get herself to do that.
The next thing, he pushed her pants aside and she was finally in heaven. If her mother had thought this was painful, she needed to meet Gary!

Well, Gary went all the way with Maryann without bothering to use a condom, while Maryann didn't know any better. So on her 13th birthday, Maryann was introduced to sex, without any prior concrete education on the topic.
Many people in the world today have similar experiences. They were introduced to sexual act at very young ages when they knew no better, all because someone had failed to give them proper education**

Sexuality education is broader than sex education. It is a lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes, beliefs, and values. It encompasses sexual development, sexual and reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, and gender roles. (defined by sexuality information and education council of the US)

Sexuality encompasses all the things that make us who we are, and is shaped by culture, history, values, education and experience. our sexuality influences our views of individuality, family, parenthood and community and this is why sexuality education is very important.

Sexuality education begins at home.
opportunities present themselves everyday and parents should seize these opportunities as often as possible.
From a young age, children are exposed to sexual images and languages in their environment, and the curiosity is inevitable. Adolescence is a particularly stressful and confusing time as both physical and cognitive aspects of sexual expression begin to align, and opportunities for personal decision making expand.

Therefore parents must start at a young age to educate their children even though it is a daunting task, and for sexuality Education to be effective, taboos and misconceptions must be tackled e.g 'talking to a man will make you pregnant'.

Talking with them about their clothes and how they look and how their looks make them feel and providing them with your view of the role of women and men in families, in relationships and in society are unthreatening, yet critical sexual learning opportunities. Repetitions of these messages throughout their development and daily adult role modeling will provide the needed emphasis on the specific view a parent wants to convey to their child. Being certain these beliefs are shared and repeated by other adults in the household will help avoid problems with mixed and gender biased messages.

Sex Education is a part of sexuality Education.

With the epidemic of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, children must be given correct information about sex and sexuality.

According to Taris T. W. in Quality of mother child interaction and intergenerational transmission of sexuality values; (a panel. J Genet Psychology), children who can talk to their parents about sexuality are less likely to engage in sexual activity, and are more responsible in their approaches to sexual activity.

Steps in achieving great sex Education for your children.

1. Start young
2. Start and keep the conversation going
3. provide accurate information
4. prioritize consent
5. Be a good listener
6. Keep it casual

It has been found that giving a child sex education while carrying out a chore together like washing the car, cooking helps to reduce the awkwardness.

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