Sex Talk

Dear Victorious,

When should a teen-ager be talked to about sex? I mean, at what age and how much information should he or she be given?

Deidra V. - Murfreesboro, TN

Dear Deidra,

Certainly you're going to tell a very young child some very basics about sexuality - such as male and female getting together, female giving birth, etc. This could start as soon as the child is old enough to understand the differences between male and female. But a more in-depth - or frank and candid - talk is probably not going to be appropriate until the child is entering the teen years. When the child is entering puberty - and beginning to experience sexual urges and desires of their own - they are definitely old enough to be given all of the information in graphic (but respectful and God-honoring) detail.