Adolescence is a critical period for physical development and a period of sexual consciousness awakening. Sexual health education at this stage is crucial to children’s growth and requires the joint attention of parents and children. Many parents are too shy to talk about sexual health with their children, so children can only get fragmented and even wrong sexual health knowledge through the Internet, classmates and other channels, which is easy to lead to cognitive misunderstandings and even behaviors that harm their own bodies.
For adolescent children, first of all, they need to understand their physical changes. Adolescent boys will have physiological changes such as spermatorrhea, prominent laryngeal nodes, and rough voices, while girls will have physiological changes such as menarche and breast development. These are normal physiological phenomena. There is no need to be nervous or inferior. Learn to accept your physical changes and understand that this is an inevitable process of growth.
Secondly, establish a correct concept of sex. With the awakening of sexual consciousness in adolescence, it is normal to be curious about the opposite sex. But learn to treat this curiosity correctly, do not indulge in sexual fantasies excessively, let alone try premature sexual behavior. Premature sexual behavior will not only affect physical development, but also may spread sexually transmitted diseases, causing double harm to the body and mind.
Parents play an important role in adolescent sexual health education. Parents should let go of shyness, take the initiative to communicate with children, explain sexual health knowledge to children in a gentle and scientific way, answer children’s questions, guide children to establish a correct concept of sex, teach children how to protect their bodies and stay away from sexual harm. At the same time, pay attention to children’s emotional changes, give children enough care and understanding, and help children go through adolescence smoothly.