It’s Critically Important 

Chiedza Mavis Chakawanei 

A 31-year-old Zimbabwean student in central China’s Henan Province 

It is vital for kids to receive sex education before they become sexually active so that they can make wiser decisions later in life. Sex education is crucial to preventing and combating sexual abuse of children, sexual violence and sexual exploitation. Nowadays there is a rapid increase in cases of child sexual abuse and hence it is necessary that children are equipped with the right knowledge.  

Children need to feel comfortable approaching parents or teachers about sexual issues so that they get the correct information. In order for this to occur, early conversations about sexual topics should convey the message that sex and sexuality are actually healthy parts of life. It is imperative that parents explain sexual health topics in a way that children can comprehend and understand. Parents should be open and friendly with their children, which will encourage children to communicate with their parents their feelings and experiences in society. Sexual health conversation with children is not a once-off thing but an ongoing process as the child grows up and matures. Hence the parents can start off by talking about how girls’ and boys’ bodies are different and how babies are born. Later they can discuss about sexuality and safe sex behavior and so on. These open and honest conversations when a child is young will make future discussions easier.  

Parents can teach children what is and what is not appropriate when it comes to touching and being touched by other people. This subject can be taught to kids between two and five years old. As they say, catch them young, so it is necessary that children possess correct knowledge which will enable them to protect themselves from abuse or to avoid destructive behaviors. Young children need to be taught to respect others and ask for one’s consent before physical contact. Games about sharing or touching can be played with children so they can learn it in a fun way. 

A Challenging Task 

Zheng Shi 

A 40-year-old educator in Beijing 

I still remember the day when my daughter came home from kindergarten and said, “The boys in our class urinate in the bathroom standing up!” The three-year-old child was excited as if she had discovered a new world. It was at that moment that I knew the time had come for me to think about sex education for her. 

As a typical Chinese parent, I am not good at sex education. The people of my generation are generally conservative when it comes to sex, and discussing the topic of sex openly with children is an embarrassment, though we are increasingly aware of the importance of sex education. 

My solution was to find a book to help me with this parental obligation. After searching the Internet and consulting with some friends, I chose a picture book titled How Was I Born? as a starter. It is one of a series of science books that explain complex scientific principles through fun fairy tales. It helped me avoid the awkwardness of talking directly to my child about sex. 

As my daughter is growing up, books have become even more important. She asks questions like how to have a baby and why girls’ breasts develop, which I find difficult to answer. Books are a good way to make up for my lack of knowledge in this regard. 

In an indirect way, we integrate sex education in daily life. For example, her father is never bare-chested at home, even during the hottest summer time, and makes sure to close the door when using the bathroom. This may help her understand the difference between sexes. During chats or storytelling, we have been telling her how girls should protect their privacy and how to make friends in school. We also shared stories about how we dated and got married. 

Now my daughter is 10 years old. I think she has learned what she needs to know about sex at this stage from books, TV and our conversations. I certainly wish there is an easier way for future education, but appropriate approaches need to be explored. A few years ago, a popular Chinese textbook based on the UN’s technical guidance on sex education was withdrawn from the market because of the controversy it aroused, showing the difficulties in providing sex education in China.