I can't remember exactly how I learned about sex, but I know the conversation did not start with my parents. I would ask questions to people I shouldn't have, and learned what I know now was inaccurate information from people just as clueless as me. As I got older, I wish I would have received "the talk" from the two people that participated in the act to create me! Eventually, my mom and I had "the talk," but it was a little too late at that point. Any child's decisions aren't an immediate reaction from the talks their parents had or didn't have with them, but it would have added some much needed guidance.
Sex is the word that no one dares speak of, like some bitter secret. Even in the home, it is tiptoed around until it becomes impossible to ignore. Having an environment where parents can talk openly and discuss with their kids the effects and responsibilities that come with sex is the healthier option. Not only will speaking to them give a parent insight into what their child relates sex to, but parents can use it to develop an even closer relationship with their child. It is also important to remember that a child will have sex one day, so trying to avoid the conversation won't make the inevitable disappear.
From experience, I wish that my mom would have opened up to me, looked past her comfort zone, and reached out about such an important topic. Talking with their kids is not only important for parents' relationships with their kids but for their kids' relationships with others. It allows them to understand the importance of talking about the things that are not always easy to discuss.
The easiest way to bring up the dreaded "sex talk" would be to just think what you wish someone would have said to you, and what might have stopped you from making certain mistakes, and apply that to the talk. The talk is not for you, but for them, to prepare and educate them on a very serious subject. "The talk" could also simply be a way for a parent to let their child know that they are there for them, no matter what the situation is or how bad it may seem.
