ABSTRACT
Sex is definitely on today’s public agenda. Most popular magazines and newspapers
have a required quota of articles on every aspect of sex and sexuality, and the threat
of AIDS has turned the spotlight even more brightly on sexual practices. Yet,
within many families, discussion of this subject remains taboo or is diverted into
jokes or oblique references. Some daughters may be sufficiently close to their
mothers to talk in confidence but plenty do not, and find this even harder with
their fathers. Whether the subject is periods, sexual intercourse, contraception or
any other aspect relating to sex, parents often skate around the edge or do not
discuss it at all. Many assume their children will be taught all they need to know
at school and are content with this; some leave useful books strategically around
the house; others breath a sigh of relief if, as they pluck up the courage to begin a
prepared speech, they are told confidently that there is no need. There are some
parents who manage to talk with ease and intimacy, but these are the minority. It
is not just parents who have this reticence; children – and teenagers in particular –
are often nervous and embarrassed about discussing such intimate subjects and are
only too willing to collude in avoiding the issue, many believing they know it all
already. Despite extensive media coverage of sexual issues, personal sexuality is a
very private area and one where people prefer to expose their deeper feelings or
vulnerabilities in a situation that feels secure and appropriate.
