Does Family Sex Education Lead to Healthy Relationships?

The amount to which family sex education is actually related to any sexual behaviors of the parents is a question that can be very difficult to answer. It is difficult to say whether or not sex education at home helps to teach healthy, healthy sexuality.

Sex education does not necessarily relate to the level of sexual desire, fantasies, attitudes, or even most adult sexual behaviors. It may not help to teach children about masturbation or safe sex practices and it may not even lead to healthy relationships between children and adults. In short, there are no studies or findings to show that sex education at home helps to teach proper adult sexual behaviors at home.

There are those who believe that positive family communication about sexuality has a very real role to play. It is important that all parents communicate with their families regarding their sexual preferences. Parents should discuss with their children if they wish to have a family of their own and they should also discuss any premarital or married life decisions that they may have made in the past. They should know how much they enjoy sex as well as the best time for having it. These conversations may help to open up the conversation on sex at home.

While some family health and fitness programs have become very effective at teaching young children about sexual activities, there is little evidence to suggest that family sex education actually leads to healthier relationships between parents and their kids. Many studies suggest that children who attend such programs actually experience lower levels of sexual behaviors than other children. Other studies have shown that children who go through sex-ed at home actually have less sexual activity than children who do not receive this type of instruction.

If a family health program is being introduced into a family, it would be good to see if they have a separate room for kids to discuss their sexual thoughts and behaviors in private. If there is no room for this, then a parent should encourage parents to discuss things openly about their own feelings and beliefs in the bedroom.

Overall, family sex education may not help to encourage healthy relationships between children and adults in general. However, there is no reason to give up the effort that is necessary to teach healthy, healthy sexuality in a family environment.