Growing up in a society which imparts valuable knowledge but restrains itself when it comes to sex education, means that most of us had little to no scope of talking to our parents about sex.

We have a very high adolescent population whose sexual, physical, and emotional health is of utmost importance. This is also the generation which is constantly curious about everything and should be able to talk freely with their parents about their sexual health. In most of our houses, however, sex is still considered a subject not to be talked about. Fortunately with wider scopes of education, parents today are making the effort to talk to their children about intercourse, periods, nightfall, and other physical pursuits.

To understand how a parent approaches his or her child and what kind of things they talk about, we got in touch with Snigdha Ghosh, a mother of a 17 year old son. In a detailed conversation, Snigdha told us,

“I spoke to my son about sex when he was 12 years old. It sort of came out naturally one day, it wasn’t like there was some specific reason. I felt that he has reached a point in his life when he should know things for what they are.”

She also pointed out, “I didn’t have to take any extra preparation because he is a boy. I think I would have it done it the same way if I was talking to a girl.”

When we asked what kind of topics she covered, she mentioned, “I told him about the changes which happen when we grow up. Why girls get their periods and why it is important for them to menstruate. I told him about the importance of consent and how it is the root to a healthier, happier relationship for both the boy and the girl.”

“We also spoke about the importance of mental health. I think we don’t talk about it much, but mental health is just as important as sexual health.”

Snigdha pointed out that there wasn’t any different reaction from her son when he heard all this, “He didn’t ask me anything. He reacted in the way he usually does, he understood things.”

Snigdha mentioned that she frequently talks to her son about sexual health and mental health.

“We often discuss these things because we feel that they should be talked about. We try to be, and we must be, more open to each other. He always shares his problems with me without hesitation and I feel that is more important than anything else.”

In our conversation with Snigdha, we discovered that her son is more comfortable talking to her about his problems since she had The Talk with him. He is now 17-year-old and even today he shares little details about his life with her. Snigdha believes that talking to her son about sex has strengthened their bond.

Note: We understand that sexual habits form an integral part of our being and a reliable and comfortable space can help us exchange our view and information about sexual health. We are exploring expert articles and personal stories about sex to help our readers receive authentic narratives, right here.