Parental Attitudes Towards Sex Education in the Home

Parental Attitudes towards Sex Education in the Home
Results of a 2003 Parent Survey Conducted
in Thunder Bay, Ontario
Lee E. Sieswerda
Epidemiologist
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Peggy Blekkenhorst
Public Health Nurse
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
For copies of this report, please contact:
Lee E. Sieswerda, Epidemiologist
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
999 Balmoral Street
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Canada P7B 6E7
Thunder Bay
Teen Pregnancy
Prevention Coalition

Printed in Canada
Copyright © 2006
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Individuals, as well as educational and health organizations, are invited to photocopy, in whole or in part,
the contents of this report. Figures and tables may be used provided that appropriate citation is given.
Please cite as:
Sieswerda LE, Blekkenhorst P. Parental Attitudes Towards Sex Education in the Home: Results Results of
a 2003 Parent Survey Conducted in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Thunder Bay,
Ontario: 2006.

Executive Summary
Rationale
In a 2001 survey, Thunder Bay teens reported that although they wanted to be able to
have conversations with their parents about sex, they felt uncomfortable doing so. They
felt that the most important factor in improving communication about sex between
parents and children was beginning conversations earlier – long before puberty – and
over a period of time, and that the common parental strategy of having the “Big Talk”
and never discussing it again was ineffective.
Because of the well-documented importance of parents to their children’s sexual
education, and because local teens reported an unfulfilled need to talk about sex with
their parents, we conducted a district-wide survey to investigate parents' attitudes towards
their children’s sex education.
Main Findings
- We found that parents believe the family should take the lead role in teaching
sexual health to their children, and that parents believe themselves to be
reasonably comfortable delivering sexual health education. Thus, they would
probably be open to a home-based curriculum.
- There was a strong discrepancy between fathers’ and mothers’ impressions about
who delivers sexual health education in the home – most mothers think that they
do most of the educating about sex, while most fathers think that they do it
together. This discrepancy is caused by lack of communication and could be
remedied through at-home activities involving both parents and their children.
- Most parents are waiting too long to begin discussions on sex with their children
(e.g., only 35% beginning discussions before the age of possible onset of
menarche in girls). This suggests that the content of promotional and educational
materials that TBDHU provides should strongly support the idea of an early start
and regular, ongoing discussions on sexual topics.
- Although parents seem willing to discuss most sexual topics with their children,
some deficiencies exist. Some examples of specific deficiencies that a homebased
curriculum could cover:
o Most boys are not being told about menstruation by their parents.
o By age 15, about 20% of parents still have not discussed HIV/AIDS or
puberty with their children.
o Although oral sex is not traditionally a topic of conversation, anecdotal
reports suggest that the practice is not uncommon among teens owing to
the misconception that it is less dangerous than vaginal intercourse.
o As few parents are willing to discuss masturbation with their children as
oral sex. Parents should ensure that masturbation is viewed as a normal
activity to be engaged in at an appropriate time and place.
i

Recommendations
• Develop promotional activities (community wide campaigns, newsletters,
workshops, etc.) for both professionals and parents to increase awareness:
o that sex education needs to begin in the pre-school years
o that sexuality and sex education as a life-long process
o that starting talks early can promote good communication and comfort
between parents and their children, helping to transmit the knowledge,
family values and skills needed to make healthy sexual choices.
• Continue with the school-based sexual health education program, adding to it athome
activities that can be completed by students with their parents. These athome
sexual health education activities would:
o provide accurate sexual health information, enhance parent child
communications and reinforce the present school-based sexual health
education program.
o be provided in conjunction with the curriculum being taught at school.
o be promoted by the teachers and the public health unit to encourage the
participation of parents and students in the homework.
• Continue to provide parents with resources on request and through the library
ensuring:
o that the materials illustrate an open process of communication in which
adequate information is provided and a willingness to listen and converse
rather than lecture is encouraged.
o that up-to-date sexual health information is available and creative ways to
discuss the private and social topics are introduced.
• Future research directions
o Quality and frequency of parent-child sexual health discussions
o Gender differences in sexual health education in the home
o Complementary provision of sexual health education by parents and
school
ii

Parent Attitudes towards Sex Education in the Home
Executive Summary............................................................................................................. i
Rationale .......................................................................................................................... i
Main Findings .................................................................................................................. i
Recommendations........................................................................................................... ii
Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1
Literature Review............................................................................................................ 2
Local Context.................................................................................................................. 3
Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 4
Methods............................................................................................................................... 5
Study Findings .................................................................................................................... 9
Parents’ Sources of Information ..................................................................................... 9
Who is primarily responsible for sex education?............................................................ 9
Do parents want their children to receive sexual education the same way they did?... 10
How do parents feel about discussing sexuality with their children?........................... 11
Have parents discussed sex with their children?........................................................... 13
At what age do parents begin to discuss sex with their children? ................................ 14
Why do parents begin to discuss sex with their children?............................................ 15
Topics............................................................................................................................ 17
What resources would parents utilize to assist with sexual education?........................ 21
Discussion......................................................................................................................... 23
Perceptions of responsibility and delivery of sex education in the home..................... 23
Parents’ feelings and reasons for beginning discussions on sexual health with their
children ......................................................................................................................... 24
Age at which parents begin sexual education............................................................... 25
Topics that parents will, and will not, discuss with their children................................ 25
Resources ...................................................................................................................... 27
Summary of Findings........................................................................................................ 29
Recommendations............................................................................................................. 30
References......................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix – Telephone script and Questionnaire.............................................................. 37
Survey of Parental Attitudes Towards Children’s Sexual Education ........................... 37

Introduction
Sex education is a lifelong process of building a strong foundation for one’s sexual
health. It includes the course of developing attitudes, beliefs and values and acquiring
information, motivation, skills and critical awareness to enhance one’s sexual health and
avoid negative sexual consequences.
Sex education involves more than sexual development and reproductive health; it
encompasses interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, values and
gender roles. Education on sexuality can come from a wide range of sources including
home, school, peers, media and religious institutions.
Of major importance is the sex education that takes place in the home. Parents are a
child’s first source of sexual health learning. Daily occurrences in the home provide
opportunities for discussions on sexuality, making parents the primary sex educators of
their children (SIECUS 2001). This important role begins in infancy and as children go
though each stage of growth and development, parents can provide the vital education
and guidance that is needed to make healthy sexual choices.
Sexuality education involves more than conversations. It includes observations of
parents’ interactions with the child, each other and other adults. These interactions assist
children and adolescents in acquiring the skills needed to develop good interpersonal
relationships. (Haffner1998, Miller 1994). Infants and toddlers learn about sexuality
though interactions with their parents, such as the way parents talk to them, dress them,
cuddle them and play with them. Even if the biological aspects of sexuality are not
discussed at this stage, these early interactions are important for setting the stage for
future sexual learning.
For pre-school children, curiosity about body parts and their functions becomes evident
around 2 to 3 years of age. Parents can use this time to establish open lines of
communication, and the child will learn that his or her parents are willing to discuss these
aspects of sexuality and that they welcome questions. In addition to factual information
on sexuality, parents sharing their attitudes, values and beliefs assist children in adopting
a value system similar to their parents. This system of beliefs becomes extremely
important for children as they move into adolescence, a time when major lifestyle
decisions are being made.
Although adolescence is a stage normally characterized by separation from parents and
the development of a distinct identity, teens continue to look to their parents for guidance
and support (Mitchell 1992). When asked, many young people want their parents to be
their most important source of sexual health information (Pauluik et al 2001, Werner-
Wilson & Fitzharris 2001). Unfortunately, many parents reserve the initiation of sexual
education until adolescence rather than beginning at a much younger age. It is usually
difficult for parents to have comfortable conversations on sexual topics with their
adolescent children if open lines of communication on sexual matters have not been well
established during childhood (Haffner 1999). In addition, sexual conversations that
1

should come from both mothers and fathers are, in many cases, being delivered by
mothers alone (Di Iorio et al 1999; Miller et al 1998). Regardless of the timing and
delivery of sexual talks, parents have a major influence on their child’s development and
well-being making them an important resource for positive sexual health education.
Literature Review
Most studies that have been done concerning parents’ and adolescents’ attitudes towards
sex education have focused on school-based sexual health programming.
In the United States and Canada, the majority of parents support a sexual health
curriculum (for example, Janus & Janus 1993; SIECCAN 1998; SIECUS 1999; Kirby
1999; Donovan 1998). Among Canadian studies, researchers in Ontario and New
Brunswick have explored in some detail the topics that should be discussed in schools
and when the topics should be initiated (McKay& Holowaty 1997, McKay et al 1998,
Weaver et al 2002).
Parents generally agree that sexual education should start in early elementary school with
relationship and safety issues, and progress to more sexually-involved and controversial
issues in later grades, suggesting support for a comprehensive set of sexual subjects. In
principle, parents agree that the provision of this curriculum should be shared by
educators and parents.
Unfortunately, the results of these Canadian studies, as well as others, have indicated that
many students do not receive the kind of comprehensive education at school that their
parents endorse. Furthermore, very few parents feel that they have been effective in
continuing these talks at home (Kirby 1999; Jordan et al 2000). While parents indicate an
interest in discussing sexual health topics, few are actively doing so in sufficient depth.
Weaver and colleagues (2002) speculated that parents supported the comprehensive
sexual health curriculum in the schools because they alone would be unlikely to provide
extensive education at home.
Several authors have noted that while school-based sex education programs are effective
in increasing students’ knowledge about sexual topics, they are less effective in
influencing students’ attitudes and behaviours. Instead, the home has been cited as the
ideal place for sexual education to influence attitudes and values and, therefore,
behaviour (Brock & Beazley 1995, Stout & Rivara 1989).
In a study by Werner-Wilson and Fitzharris (2001), adolescents indicated a desire for
more interaction with their parents on sexual health issues and identified their parents as
having a significant influence on their sexuality. However, discussions were viewed as
being uncomfortable. A significant finding of the study was that the approaches used by
parents to communicate were in conflict with what the adolescents desired. Both parents
and teens agreed that parents should be aware of what was being taught in the school so
that after the classes, discussions at home would be easier.
2

There appears to be a growing consensus that although the school has an important role
in sex education, parent-child communication needs to be improved. Parents need to take
a lead role in initiating and continuing discussions on sexuality. In a recent national
survey by the US-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, adolescents
reported they consider their parents to be important role models for healthy relationships
and sexuality. Teens also indicated that it would be much easier for them to postpone
sexual activity if they were able to have open and honest conversations about sexual
topics with their parents. Unfortunately, almost one-quarter of teens also reported never
having had sexual conversations with their parents (The National Campaign to Prevent
Teen Pregnancy 2003).
In the United Kingdom, a survey of attitudes to at-home sexual education found parents
acknowledging their primary responsibility for sex education and examined the ages at
which a variety of sexual topics were discussed in the home (Marie Stopes International,
2000). Though two-thirds of the parents indicated feeling comfortable talking to their
children about sex, a significant number were postponing discussions on certain topics
until the child was older. Parents were more likely to discuss the emotional aspects of
sexual relationships than more physical aspects of sex like masturbation, oral sex,
intercourse, and associated risks, such as sexually-transmitted diseases.
Local Context
In the Thunder Bay District, several community agencies provide information for parents
to assist them in their role as primary sex educators of their children. Resource materials
such as books, pamphlets and videos are available to support parents. Workshops and
presentations on how to talk to children about sex are also offered. Despite the
availability of resources and presentations, there is reason to believe that parents are not
providing the sex education that children need to build a strong foundation for their
sexual health.
In the spring of 2000, responding to concerns that rates of teen pregnancy in the Thunder
Bay District were significantly higher than the provincial average, the Thunder Bay Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Coalition completed an in-depth examination of local adolescents’
perspectives on the prevention of teen pregnancy in the district. One of the major themes
that emerged was the importance of communication between parents and their children.
Teens reported that although they wanted to be able to have conversations with their
parents about sex, they felt uncomfortable talking to their parents. They felt that this
communication could be improved if parents would initiate conversations when their
child was younger – long before puberty – and over a period of time. They indicated that
the common parental strategy of having the “Big Talk” and never discussing it again was
ineffective and did not promote a level of comfort that would encourage them to pursue
further conversations with their parents. Because of the well-documented importance of
parents to their children’s sexual education, and because local teens reported an
unfulfilled need to talk about sex with their parents, the Coalition decided to explore
parents’ attitudes towards the sex education of their children. In March 2003, a districtwide
survey was conducted to investigate parents' attitudes towards their children’s sex
3

education and to determine what strategies could be implemented to improve
communication and sex education in the home.
Objectives
1. To examine where parents received their own sex education and if their own
experience impacted on their attitudes toward the education of their children.
2. To determine who parents think should have the main responsibility for educating
their children about sex.
3. To examine the delivery and timing of sex education in the home.
4. To explore what sexual issues are being discussed and how comfortable and
equipped parents feel in teaching these subjects.
5. To elicit parents’ ideas for provision of resource materials to assist them in
educating their children in the home.
4

Methods
The questionnaire for this study was adapted from the survey instrument used by Marie
Stopes International (2000). The questionnaire was modified to accommodate differences
in language between Thunder Bay, Canada and the United Kingdom, and to make it
suitable for telephone interviews. Appendix A contains a copy of the survey instrument.
In February 2003, three hundred interviews were completed by random-digit dialing from
a screened sample of residences in the District of Thunder Bay. Eligible participants were
mothers and fathers of children between the ages of 3 and 15. All potentially valid
numbers were attempted at least ten times at various times of day.
From experience with previous population-based telephone surveys, we anticipated that it
would be somewhat more difficult to obtain male participants. Therefore, we prespecified
that a minimum of one hundred completed interviews would be obtained from
fathers. Because we thought that fathers and mothers might have different attitudes
towards sex education and because we wanted this survey to be representative of the
population of parents, we applied post-stratification weights to balance the sample at
52.5% female. This approximates the sex distribution of parents who live with their
children in the population (Statistics Canada 2001b).
In order to ensure correct prevalence rates, we also weighted our observations so that the
distribution of children’s ages in the sample would reflect the census distribution of ages
in the population (Statistics Canada 2001a).
Because the study design was cross-sectional, analyses based on the age of the child at
the time of the survey were smoothed using a local weighted regression to reduce some
of the instability caused.
Response Rate
Final call disposition statistics can be found in Table 1. The response rate was 43%; the
refusal rate was 22.5%.
5

Table 1. Final call disposition statistics with response and refusal rates.
Call Disposition
Telephone numbers used
Known Eligible – Interview Completed (CO) 300
Known Eligible – Interview Not Completed (NC) 184
Unknown Eligibility (UE) 1609
Not Eligible (NE) 3153
Estimate of those with unknown eligibility likely to
be eligible (EE)*
214
Response Rate** 43.0%
Refusal Rate*** 22.5%
* (CO+NC)/(CO+NC+NE) x UE; ** CO/(CO+NC+EE); *** NC/(CO+NC+EE)
Demographic characteristics of sample
The survey sample was comprised of approximately equal numbers of male and female
children (51.3% male), and twice as many mothers as fathers. We had anticipated from
the beginning that this would be the case, so, as noted above, the sample was weighted to
reflect the slight preponderance in the population of mothers living with their children
(52.5% mothers).
In a sexual education survey, the respective gender of the parent and child is of interest.
In order to avoid potential bias, the sample should have an approximately equal
distribution of same- and cross-gender parent-child pairings. Table 2 shows the weighted
and unweighted relative frequencies of parent and child gender. Note that the weighting
had little effect on the relative proportion of male and female children, remaining near
50%.
6

Table 2. Percentage of parent and child gender pairs before and after weighting
(unweighted percentages in parentheses).
Father Mother Total
Son 23.4 (17.7) 26.6 (33.7) 50.0 (51.3)
Daughter 24.1 (15.7) 25.9 (33.0) 50.0 (48.7)
Total 47.5 (33.3) 52.5 (66.7) 100
Figure 1 shows both the univariate and bivariate distributions of child and parent ages.
The left panel of Figure 1 depicts a preponderance of older children. We expect to have
more older children because we asked parents to refer to their eldest child between the
ages of 3 and 15 when answering the survey questions. The bottom panel of Figure 1
shows a bell-shaped distribution of parents between the ages of 21 and 58. The middle
panel is a scatterplot of the relationship between parent’s age and child’s age, with a
nonparametric local linear smoothed (loess) line showing that parent and child ages
generally increase together, but that the relationship is complex with many outliers.
Percent
10 5
0
Age of Parent
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Age of child
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
0
2
4
6
8
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Age of Parent
Notes:
1. Scatterplot is jittered to reveal overlapping data points
2. Local linear smooth line included to show age of child generally increasing with age of parent
3. Size of data points reflects weighting; fathers and parents of younger children have more weight
Figure 1. Weighted distribution of age of child and age of parent.
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Age of child
Percent
7

Another demographic feature of interest is the marital status of the parents in the survey.
A single, divorced, or widowed mother or father is less likely to be able to share the
responsibility for sex education with a partner. Therefore, it is important that the
distribution of two-parent and lone-parent homes in the sample be approximately the
same as in the population. Table 3 shows that our sample had more respondents who
were part of a married couple and fewer lone-parents than would be expected based on
the Census.
Table 3. Breakdown of marital status in the present study sample compared to the
2001 Census, Thunder Bay District, Families with children only. There were
significantly more two-parent and fewer lone-parent families than would be
expected based on the Census.
Survey sample
(95% Confidence Interval)
Married 76.7%
(71.2%, 81.7%)
Common-Law 7.9%
(5.1%, 12.1%)
Lone-Parent 15.2%
(11.3%, 20.1%)
2001 Census
65.6%
8.6%
25.9%
8

Study Findings
Parents’ Sources of Information
Respondents were asked to recall where they received their sexual education when they
were children (Figure 2). School and friends were the dominant sources of information
reported, with parents contributing notably little. The sources reported were similar for
both sexes, with one exception: a significant proportion of females reported receiving sex
education from their mothers only. Three percent of respondents indicated that they had
never had any sex education as children.
Males Females
School
Friends
38
Both Mother and Father
Books, television, media
Never discussed
Father only
Mother only
Another family member
Can’t remember
Somewhere else
Doctor or Nurse
Refused
32
9
9
4
4
2
2
1
2
3
1
1
0
0
7
6
18
26
34
40 20 0 20 40
Percent
Figure 2. Responses to the question, “Please remember back to your own
childhood. What was your main source of information about sex?”, by sex of
respondent.
Who is primarily responsible for sex education?
Respondents were then asked who has the primary responsibility for educating children
about sex (Figure 3). Seventy-six percent of respondents believed that both parents
together should be primarily responsible. However, a substantial proportion – 22% of
mothers and 10% of fathers – believed that mothers should be the exclusive providers of
sexual education. School accounted for only 2%, while friends, health care professionals,
and the media did not register at all.
9

Males Females
Both myself & my partner
80
72
My partner only
10
3
Myself only
6
22
School
Counsellor
Someone else
Child’s friends
Doctor or nurse
3
1
1
1
Books, television, media
80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80
Percent
Figure 3. Responses to the question, “Who do you think should take the main
responsibility for explaining sex and sexual education to your children?”, by sex of
respondent.
Do parents want their children to receive sexual education the
same way they did?
Parents’ opinions about who is responsible for delivering sexual education contrasts with
their own experience of sexual education. Most parents received their own sexual
education at school or from friends, but now want their children to receive sexual
education at home. Examination of the concordance between individual, unweighted
responses (Table 4) indicates that 88% of parents do not want their children to receive
sex education the same way they did when they were children. Regardless of where they
received their information about sex, most parents believe it is their responsibility to
educate their children on sexuality.
10

Table 4. Concordance between respondents’ own main source of sexual health
information versus who they believe has the main responsibility for providing
sexual education to their children. Most parents want their children to receive
sexual health information in a manner different from their own experience.
My
Myself partner
only (M/F) only (M/F)
Who do you think should take the main responsibility for
explaining sex and sexual education to your children?
Both
myself &
my
partner
Child's
friends
Teacher/
Counsellor
Doctor or
Nurse
Someone
else
Books,
television,
media
Mother only 1/9 --/-- 25 -- 1 -- -- --
Please remember back to your own
childhood. What was your main source
of information about sex?
Father only 1/-- --/-- 2 -- -- -- -- --
Both Mother and
Father
1 2 22 -- -- -- -- --
Friends 13 7 67 -- -- -- 1 --
School 15 4 81 -- 3 -- -- --
Doctor or Nurse -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
Somewhere else -- -- 2 -- -- -- -- --
Another family
member
Books, television,
media
1 -- 7 -- -- -- -- --
5 1 13 -- 2 -- -- --
Summary: Concordant 36 12%
Discordant 264 88%
How do parents feel about discussing sexuality with their
children?
One-third of parents indicated feeling “a little uncomfortable” but the majority, twothirds,
indicated that they felt “not at all uncomfortable” talking to their child about sex
(Table 5). Only one parent indicated that he was “very uncomfortable” discussing sex
with his child.
Mothers were equally comfortable talking to either their sons or daughters and at any age
level. Fathers on the other hand, were less comfortable discussing sex with their
daughters.
11

Table 5. Percentage responses to the question, “Which one of the following best
describes how comfortable you feel when talking to your child about sex?”
Very embarrassed A little embarrassed Not at all embarrassed p-value
or uncomfortable or uncomfortable or uncomfortable (Χ 2 test)
Overall 1 33 66
By sex of parent
Father 1 39 59
Mother 0 27 73 p = 0.02
By sex of parent and child
Father & son 0 35 65
Father & daughter 3 43 54
Mother & son 0 30 70
Mother & daughter 0 24 76 p = 0.04
Respondents were then read three statements and asked to rate how closely the statements
described how they felt about discussing sexuality with their children.
The three statements were:
A. I do not feel equipped with the necessary information.
B. I do not feel confident to talk with my children.
C. I don’t know where to start.
The statements were formulated in a “negative” way to reflect the kind of internal dialog
that a parent might experience when put in a potentially awkward situation, such as
discussing sexuality with their children. Overall, few parents identified with the
statements, instead expressing confidence in their abilities.
Table 6 shows that only 10 percent of parents, both fathers and mothers, agreed with
statement A, 5 percent agreed with statement B, and 21 percent agreed with statement C.
The percentages of respondents agreeing with the three statements above are also broken
down by parent-child gender pairings. No significant differences were apparent.
12

Table 6. Percent of respondents agreeing with three statements reflecting the
degree of adequacy and confidence parents feel toward discussing sexuality with
their children, by parent-child gender pairings (no statistically significant
differences by sex of parent or by sex of parent and child).
I do not feel equipped
with the necessary
information
I do not feel
confident to talk with
my children
I don't know where
to start
Overall 10 5 21
By sex of parent
Father 12 5 19
Mother 9 4 22
By sex of parent and child
Father & son 11 5 18
Father & daughter 12 5 20
Mother & son 11 2 26
Mother & daughter 6 6 18
Have parents discussed sex with their children?
Only one parent of the 300 surveyed had not, and did not intend to, discuss sex with his
child. This parent indicated being too embarrassed and uncomfortable to discuss sex and
not confident with the issues to be able to answer questions that his daughter may ask. He
also indicated that he believed it was primarily his partners’ responsibility to educate
their child on sexual matters. All other respondents indicated that they had already had
discussions about sex with their child (62%) or that they intended to do so (38%).
We were interested not only in whether parents had discussed sex with their children, but
also if both or only one of the parents had done so. Table 7 shows how parents
responded, stratified by sex. Among those who had already begun to discuss sex, 71% of
mothers perceived that they had done so on their own, while 69% fathers were under the
impression that those discussions were occurring together with their partner. This
discrepancy between mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions is notable.
Table 7. Discrepancy between mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of who began
discussions on sexual health (n = 207).
When you spoke to your eldest child about sex, did you
speak to them on your own or with your partner?
Mothers (%) Fathers (%)
Myself only 71 23
My partner only 1 8
Both myself and my partner 28 69
p < 0.001
13

At what age do parents begin to discuss sex with their children?
Figure 4 shows the ages at which parents reported having begun to discuss sex or, if they
had not yet done so, then the age at which they intended to begin. Slightly less than twothirds
(62%) of parents had begun discussions with their eldest child sometime between
the ages of 3 and 15, with the rest expressing an intention to do so.
Those who had not yet begun discussing sex were delaying such discussions significantly
longer than those who had already begun. Among those who had already had discussions
about sex with their child, the average age of the child at the time of the first discussion
was 8.5 years. Among those who had not yet had discussions about sex with their child,
the average age at which they intended to begin was 11.7 years – a statistically significant
difference of 3.2 years (95% CI: 2.2, 4.1) (Figure 4). Mothers and fathers did not differ
significantly in the average age that they began or intended to begin sexual health
discussions. Among parents who had not yet spoken to their children about sex, but
intended to, 23% indicated that they did not know at what age they would begin (Figure
4). It appears that, despite parents’ best intentions, knowing when and how to start sexual
health discussions presents a significant challenge.
Have already discussed
Intend to discuss
3 yrs or younger
4 yrs
5 yrs
6 yrs
7 yrs
8 yrs
9 yrs
10 yrs
13
11 yrs 13
12 yrs
13
13 yrs
14 yrs
15 yrs
16 yrs or older
Don’t know
12
5
1
10
0
8
1
5
2
7
1
11
8
7
9
15
5
3
1 2
1 1
1
10 0 10 20
Percent
23
23
Figure 4. Parents were asked at what age they began discussions on sex, or if they
had not already done so, when they intended to begin.
Although sexual education should begin as early as possible, one benchmark age for
sexual education is the age of menarche in girls. The average age of menarche is about
14

twelve and a half, but it can occur as young as age 9 (Herman-Giddens et al 1997). Thus,
for parents to ensure that their children (of both sexes) are educated about sexual health
before the onset of menses in their age group, they need to begin before age 9. In our
study, only 35% of parents began or intended to begin sexual education before age 9
(Table 8).
Table 8. Age at which parents began, or intend to begin, discussions on sexual
health with their children (%).
Age Fathers Mothers Total
3 1 6 4
4 8 5 6
5 2 8 5
6 3 5 4
7 2 7 5
8 15 9 12
9 4 11 8
10 21 12 16
11 14 9 11
12 15 12 14
13 5 3 4
14 0 2 1
15 1 1 1
16 0 0 0
Don't know 8 9 9
Total 100 100 100
Why do parents begin to discuss sex with their children?
The reasons cited by parents for having begun discussions on sexuality are given in
Figure 5. The most cited reasons involved their child asking questions, feeling that it was
the right time, feelings of parental responsibility, and wanting their child to have the facts
directly from them.
15

My child asked for advice
9
My child asked questions
77
I felt like it was the right time
65
I was worried about my child having sex and not being prepared
17
I felt that it was my responsibility as a parent
72
I wanted my child to hear the facts from me not elsewhere
64
I felt my child needed more than what was being provided at the school
36
0 20 40 60 80
Percent
Figure 5. Reasons given by parents for speaking to their child about sex, among
those parents who had already begun discussions (n = 207).
Parents could indicate as many reasons as they wished and several of the responses were
similar and correlated. Factor analysis was used to clarify some of the concepts
underlying the responses (Table 9). We have labeled the first factor “Parental Judgment”
because it is strongly influenced by responses 3, 5 and 6. We have labeled the second
factor “Child’s curiosity” because it is largely made up of response 2. The third factor has
been labeled “Preparing for sexual life” because of its strong loading on responses 1, 4,
and 7.
16

Table 9. Association between age of child and parents’ reasons for beginning to
discuss sexual health with their children. The questionnaire responses were grouped
into three factors and regressed on age of child to determine the influence of age
on parents’ motivation for discussing sex with their children. Note that the child’s
gender had no discernible influence on the reasons parents gave for beginning
these discussions.
coefficient for age p-value Interpretation
"Parental Judgment" 0.37 0.163
Felt it was the right time
Responsibility as a parent
Wanted child to hear the facts
from me not elsewhere
"Preparing for Sexual Life" 0.73 0.012
Child asked for advice
Worried about child having sex
and not being prepared
Child needed more than what
was provided at school
"Child's Curiosity" -1.51

There are three general features to note. First, most parents intend to discuss most topics,
reflecting their awareness that these discussions are necessary. Second, parents’
intentions start high and remain relatively consistent across children’s ages, indicating
that parents decide early on what topics they will and will not discuss. Third, the
percentage of parents who have discussed a particular topic increases with the age of their
child until, for most topics, it nearly matches their intent. The exceptions to this, those
topics where there is a significant gap between intention and actuality by age 15, are
menstruation, masturbation, oral sex, abortion and sexual orientation.
Percent
100
80
60
40
20
0
100
80
60
40
20
0
AIDS/HIV Contraception or safe sex Sexual intercourse
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
STDs
Teenage pregnancy
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Age of child
Have already spoken Intend to speak Have no intention
Figure 6. Percent of parents who have spoken, intend to speak, and have no
intention to speak about sexual intercourse and associated risks, by age of child.
There are some exceptions to these general features. Figure 7 shows that parents are less
likely to discuss the menstrual cycle with their children than other aspects of puberty.
This, however, is explained by the observation that menstruation is the only topic to show
a significant difference between male and female children. By age 15, 94% of parents had
discussed menstruation with their daughters, while only 42% had discussed menstruation
with their sons (p = 0.0026).
18

Percent
100
80
60
40
20
0
100
80
60
40
20
0
Emotions
Going through puberty
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Periods or menstrual cycle
Relationships
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Age of child
Have already spoken Intend to speak Have no intention
Figure 7. Percent of parents who have spoken, intend to speak, and have no
intention to speak about physical and emotional maturation, by age of child.
A second exception is the discussion of non-intercourse sexual pleasure, or “private”,
topics and socially controversial topics, shown in Figure 8. Compared to other topic
areas, substantially fewer parents had already discussed or intended to discuss
masturbation and oral sex. Sexual orientation and abortion, on the other hand, are
considered reasonable topics of conversation for over 80% of parents (Figure 9).
19

Percent
100
80
60
40
20
0
Masturbation
Oral sex
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Age of child
Have already spoken Intend to speak Have no intention
Figure 8. Percent of parents who have spoken, intend to speak, and have no
intention to speak about “private” topics, by age of child.
Furthermore, while most parents have discussed most topics by about age 11, oral sex,
masturbation and abortion tend not to be discussed until much later, if at all.
Percent
100
80
60
40
20
0
Abortion
Sexual orientation
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Age of child
Have already spoken Intend to speak Have no intention
Figure 9. Percent of parents who have spoken, intend to speak, and have no
intention to speak about socially controversial topics, by age of child.
20

What resources would parents utilize to assist with sexual
education?
Parents were asked what kinds of resources would assist them in discussing sex with their
children. Three-quarters of the parents indicated an interest in books and videos, followed
by pamphlets (60%), T.V. shows (53%) and library kits (51%). Workshops in the
community were mentioned by 46% of parents as being helpful. Only seven percent of
parents indicated that nothing would help.
Pamphlets
60
Television show on talking about sex
53
Workshops delivered in the community
47
Library kits
51
Books or videos
76
Nothing would help
7
Other
9
0 20 40 60 80
Percent
21

Discussion
Perceptions of responsibility and delivery of sex education in
the home
Ninety-eight percent of parents in the Thunder Bay District believe that teaching their
children about sexual health is primarily their responsibility, despite the fact that most of
them received their own sexual health education from sources other than their parents.
Only 12% of parents wanted their children to receive sexual education from the same
source that they had as children (Table 4). Furthermore, they believe that it is not just the
responsibility of mothers, but should involve both parents. This finding is consistent with
other studies that have shown that modern parents have taken a more liberal view of sex
education than did their parents (Fox 1989; Marie Stopes International 2000). This
suggests that a significant change has occurred in the past two generations whereby
parents have recognized that their own sexual education as a child was inadequate, and
that they want their children to be better prepared in order to make healthier sexual
decisions. Many parents have come to recognize that sex education delivered by both
parents carries an implicit message: that sex is an open topic that can be discussed in the
home by both men and women.
Although parents do agree that they should speak to their children together about sex,
they may not agree on who is actually initiating the conversations. Overall, sixty-two
percent of parents reported having initiated discussions about sex with their children, but
we found a discrepancy between fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of who conducted the
discussions. According to Table 7, while 71% of mothers perceived that they were the
sole sex educator, only 8% of fathers perceived that the mother was doing the discussions
on her own. Most fathers (69%) perceived that discussions were occurring with both
parents; only 28% of mothers felt that both parents were contributing to sexual health
discussions. Furthermore, while 22% of fathers believed they were the sole sex educators,
less than one percent of mothers perceived that their partners were doing it on their own.
This striking difference suggests that parents are not communicating with one another
about how and when these discussions are taking place. One explanation for this may be
that the quality, depth and content of the discussion provided by mothers and fathers
differs, leading to different perceptions of what was discussed. This study did not
examine the quality or depth of sex education provided by parents.
To put this in context, previous studies have suggested that mothers tend to provide most
of the sexual education of their children, and are seen by adolescents to be more
emotionally accessible, capable and knowledgeable about sexual issues (e.g., Rosenthal
et al 2001; Downie & Coates 1999; DiIorio et al 1999; King & Lorusso 1997; Baldwin &
Baranoski 1990). These studies demonstrate that while parents may indicate knowledge
and attitudes reflective of more equal gender responsibilities toward educating their
children about sex, many still follow traditional parenting roles. Our findings suggest that
self-reports from parents about who has provided the education may not be reliable, but
rather must be viewed as a matter of perception.
23

Parents’ feelings and reasons for beginning discussions on
sexual health with their children
Most parents reported that they felt comfortable, confident, knowledgeable, and that they
knew where to start discussions about sexuality with their child (Table 6). Thirty-four
percent felt either “a little uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” and 66% felt “not at
all uncomfortable”. Similarly, Marie Stopes International (2000) found 61% of parents
were not at all uncomfortable talking to their children about sex. It is difficult to find
exact correlates of this question in other studies because question wording and response
categories often are not consistent.
Knowledge, confidence, and knowing where to start were closely related to comfort
levels. In our sample, only 10% of parents felt they did not possess adequate knowledge
of sexual health to deliver sex education to their children, and only 5% did not feel
confident enough to deliver sexual education to their children.
These high levels of comfort and confidence are not surprising given that several studies
have shown that parents have favourable estimates of their own ability to deliver sex
education (Welshimer & Harris 1994, McKay et al 1998, Rosenthal et al 2001). For
example, McKay et al (1998) found that three-quarters of parents thought that they
provided adequate sexual education to their own children, while almost the same number
expressed serious doubts about the ability of other parents to do so. It should be noted
that parents’ self-assessments of their ability to deliver adequate sex education should be
taken with a grain of salt. Several studies have shown that adolescents have a lower
opinion of their parents’ abilities as communicators of sexual health information (e.g.,
Byers et al 2003a; Byers et al 2003b; Hampton et al 2001). Discrepancies between the
perceptions of parents and their children were highlighted by King and Lorusso (1997)
who noted that, while most parents believed that they had discussed sex with their
children, most of their children felt that they had never had a meaningful discussion about
sex.
One reason why parents may indicate feeling comfortable, confident, and knowledgeable
is suggested by the reasons they cite for beginning conversations (Figure 5). Topics that
suggest the actual occurrence of sexual activity are challenging for a parent to discuss,
and tend to cause embarrassment for teens, and are therefore avoided (Byers et al 2003a;
McNeely et al 2002). Accordingly, in our study, the least common reasons cited by
parents were that their child asked for advice and that they feared the child was about to
initiate sexual activity and would not be prepared. The most common reasons cited do not
carry implications of sexual activity, and so would be less likely to cause discomfort.
Factor analysis divided these reasons into three groups (Table 9). The strongest factor,
“parental judgment”, was not associated with child’s age, suggesting that parental
judgment remains a consideration throughout the child’s development. The second
strongest factor, “child’s curiosity”, was negatively associated with age, consistent with
the interpretation that parents who start sexual discussions when their children are young
do so in response to their child’s innate curiosity about their body. Although few parents
indicated being “worried about [their] child having sex and not being prepared” or that
24

“[their] child asked for advice” as reasons for beginning sexual conversations, factor
analysis indicated a third factor, weaker than the first two factors, which we have
interpreted as “preparing for sexual life”. This factor is positively associated with age and
consistent with the notion that those who delay beginning sexual discussions until closer
to adolescence finally do begin in response to the realization that their child is reaching
sexual maturity and that sexual activity may become a possibility.
Age at which parents begin sexual education
Our previous study “Teen Perspectives: Preventive Strategies for Decreasing Teen
Pregnancy in the Thunder Bay District” (Pauluik et al 2001) suggested that most parents
are unaware of the importance of initiating sexual talks in a child’s early years in order to
establish a strong foundation for open discussion in adolescence. Although health
educators assert that it is never too late to begin discussions on sexuality with your
children, having only the “Big Talk” at puberty is often embarrassing and uncomfortable
for both the adolescent and parents and much of the information is not absorbed (Pauluik
et al 2001).
In the present study parents appear to fall into three distinct groups (Figure 4). There is a
group of “early initiators” who indicate having begun discussions with their children at
approximately age 7 or younger. A second group, comprising the majority of parents,
indicated that they intended to or actually had begun sex education in the preadolescent
and adolescent stages of life. A third group consists of those parents who indicate an
intention to discuss sexual health with their children, but do not know at what age to
begin. This third group, like the second group, seems to lack awareness that sexual
education is a lifelong process beginning at an early age.
Only thirty-five percent of parents began or intended to begin discussions on sex before
age nine, which is the lower limit of one of the most outward signs of adolescent sexual
maturation, menarche (Herman-Giddens 1997). Perhaps most parents are not aware that
girls as young as 9 can begin menstruating. Optimally, parents would begin to discuss
sexual health with their children, regardless of gender, long before the onset of menses in
their age group.
This finding may also lend support to the idea that many parents are indeed having the
“Big Talk” at or near puberty, most likely with the intention of preparing their child for
the changes that occur with this stage of growth and development and to warn them about
the consequences of sexual activity. The problem with the “Big Talk” is that adolescents
are already at a stage where, if discussions about sex have not already been occurring for
some years, they feel uncomfortable discussing it with their parents.
Topics that parents will, and will not, discuss with their children
Although the majority of parents indicated being very comfortable, well-equipped with
knowledge and confident in teaching sexual health in the home, the topics being
discussed and age of discussion raise some concern. If parents intend to discuss a
25

particular topic with their child, they should do so before the child reaches the stage
where they begin to experience that topic, either personally or within their peer group.
We have already mentioned above the case of menstruation discussions occurring quite
late, or not all among boys.
In addition, while approximately seventy-five percent of parents intend to discuss
masturbation with their child, less than twenty percent have done so by age 10.
Masturbation normally begins very early in life and if parents have not discussed it well
before age 10, they have likely missed the opportunity to have a discussion about it that
does not involve extreme embarrassment. By that time, children will have absorbed the
social judgments attached to masturbation and parents will have lost an opportunity to
ensure that their child knows that masturbation is perfectly normal and not deserving of
any kind of stigma.
Oral sex and abortion are topics that can reasonably be delayed until children are
somewhat older. However, it should be noted that while approximately seventy percent of
parents say that they intend to discuss oral sex with their children at some point, only
forty percent have done so by age 15. We speculate that by age 15 almost all teens would
have heard about oral sex, and that some within their peer group would have experienced
it. Anecdotal reports suggest that oral sex is becoming more common among teens,
owing to the misconception that it is less dangerous than vaginal intercourse. Similarly,
while 85% of parents intend to discuss abortion, only 50% have done so by age 15.
Certainly, abortion is relatively rare by this age, but the incidence of abortion rises
rapidly from age 16 on and many students will know someone who has had an abortion
before the end of high school. By not discussing these topics with their parents first, teens
will learn about them and develop attitudes toward them based on information and
misinformation from their peers. Just as concerning as the late initiation of discussions is
the significant proportion of parents do not intend to discuss the topics of oral sex and
abortion at all. This is concerning because avoiding discussions on these topics could
adversely affect the information available to teenagers for decision-making. Abortion is
not only a discussion of factual information but a discussion of values, morals and
beliefs. Discussions on oral sex should focus on prevention of disease and reasons for the
practice.
By age 15, about 20% of parents still have not discussed HIV/AIDS or puberty with their
children. By age 15, teens should be aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and virtually all
will be already in the throes of puberty, so these discussions should have already begun
by this time.
To some degree, our topic list was too limited. We did not include many choices that
would be appropriate for very young children, like naming sexual body parts, how babies
are made, etc. In any case, parents’ relatively late initiation of most of the topics we did
list illustrates again that the majority of parents are beginning discussions on sex at the
adolescent stage of growth and development. Another limitation of the present study is
that it only examined if the topics had been discussed, and did not examine the depth,
frequency and length of discussions. Other research studies have indicated that in many
26

cases parents are providing limited amounts of information on many of the sexual health
topics discussed (e.g., Weaver et al 2002; Miller et al 1998).
In summary, most parents indicated an intention to discuss physical, emotional, and
social maturation, as well as sexual intercourse and associated risks. Parents also seemed
to have fulfilled their intentions, though many are waiting until quite late to do so. Some
topics, however, remain taboo. Abortion, masturbation, and oral sex were, for the most
part, not topics of conversation between parents and their children. It appears that topics
that require factual information or are of an emotional nature, appeared to be discussed
more readily, while topics thought of as being “private” (masturbation and oral sex) or
having social implications (abortion) are less frequently discussed and for some of the
parents in the study would not be discussed at all. Although their topic list was quite
different, Rosenthal and Feldman (1999) found broadly similar results, concluding that
parents most readily discuss issues of sexual risk and safety and least about private
topics.
Resources
Parents’ indicated a desire for a variety of resource materials (books, videos, T.V. shows
and library kits) to assist them in discussing sexuality with their children. About half
indicated a preference for materials suitable for use in the privacy of their own home and
at their convenience. The other half indicated that they would find community
presentations on the topic helpful.
In-home sexual health teaching materials can be highly effective. In a Nova Scotia study
parents who participated in at-home sexual health structured activities reported higher
comfort and self-efficacy and had more frequent and more open discussions with their
children (Brock & Beazley 1995). Having teaching materials conveniently located in the
home also allows parents to take advantage of the “teachable moments” when their
child’s natural curiosity leads to discussions on sexuality.
Community presentations have the advantage of making a knowledgeable expert
available to assist parents, discuss problems, answer questions, and inspire a healthy
attitude towards sexual health education. However, the experience of the Thunder Bay
District Health Unit is that few parents actually attend presentations in the community
when they are offered.
27

Summary of Findings
• As children, parents received their information about sex from their school and
friends, and very little from their own parents. Today, parents want to be
responsible for their child’s sex education (not to the exclusion of school sexual
education).
• Respondents believe that it is the responsibility of both parents to educate their
children. However, only 28% of mothers and 69% of fathers think that both
parents were delivering sexual health education. Significant discrepancies were
found between mothers’ and fathers’ impressions of who was delivering sexual
education.
• The majority of parents feel comfortable, well-equipped and confident in
educating their children on sex.
• The majority of parents think they know when to start sex education with their
children.
• Although menarche can occur as young as age 9, only 35% of parents began or
intend to begin sexual health discussions prior to age 9.
• Parents who began discussions with their child at a young age tended to cite their
child’s curiosity as their reason for beginning; parents who began when their
children were older tended to do so because they felt it was time to prepare their
child for sexual life.
• Almost all parents have spoken or intend to speak to their children about safetyrelated
topics, such as teenage pregnancy, sexual intercourse, contraception,
HIV/AIDS and other STDs.
• Similarly, almost all parents have spoken or intend to speak to their children about
physical and emotional maturation topics like puberty, emotions, and
relationships.
• Menstruation is the only topic to show a significant difference between male and
female children. By age 15, 94% of parents had discussed menstruation with their
daughters, while only 42% had discussed menstruation with their sons.
• More than half of parents have spoken or intend to speak to their children about
masturbation and oral sex. Very few parents are discussing masturbation at the
stage of development where children begin doing it.
• Eight-five percent of parents have spoken or intend to speak to their children
about socially controversial topics like abortion and homosexuality (though we
did not ask about the content of those conversations).
• Only 7% of parents indicated that no resource would help them discuss sex with
their children. There was substantial support from parents for pamphlets,
television shows, community workshops, library kits, books and videos as
resources to help them discuss sex with their children. The most popular choices
were books and videos; the least popular choice was community workshops.
This study illustrates that parents see the family as having the lead role in the teaching of
sexual health. Though we did not examine in detail parents’ knowledge of sexual health
and their efficacy in teaching it, this study does indicate that parents in our area believe
themselves to be reasonably comfortable and well-informed on the topic.
29

There appears to be a strong discrepancy between fathers’ and mothers’ impressions
about which parent is delivering sexual health education in the home. This may be a
discrepancy between what mothers and fathers consider to be adequate education, or it
may be that fathers are not aware of what mothers are providing. This discrepancy
indicates an opportunity for public health to provide some public education.
Most parents are waiting too long to begin discussions on sex with their children, with
only 35% beginning discussions before the age of possible onset of menarche in girls.
This is probably partly because most parents are not aware that menarche is occurring at
a younger age than when they were children. It may also be that many parents are not
aware that optimal sexual health education requires an early start. This also represents a
public education opportunity for the health unit.
Although parents seem to be willing to discuss most sexual topics with their children,
some deficiencies exist. Most boys are not discussing menstruation with their parents,
though they would learn about it at school. By age 15, about 20% of parents still have not
discussed HIV/AIDS or puberty with their children. By age 15, teens should be aware of
the dangers of HIV/AIDS and virtually all will be already in the throes of puberty, so
these discussions should have already begun by this time. Although oral sex is not
traditionally a topic of conversation, anecdotal reports suggest that it is not uncommon
among teens owing to the misconception that it is less dangerous than vaginal
intercourse. Thus, it would behoove parents to add oral sex to their list of discussion
topics. There may be a role for public health to provide some education on this topic. As
few parents are willing to discuss masturbation with their children as oral sex. In the past,
masturbation was considered to be shameful which was to be hidden and stigmatized.
Today, it is recognized as a normal part of human sexuality. Parents can reduce the
shame associated with masturbation by discussing it as a normal activity to be engaged in
at an appropriate time and place.
Future studies in our area should examine parents’ knowledge of particular sexual health
topic areas, the extent of their discussions with their children, and teens’ perspectives on
the adequacy of their sexual education.
Recommendations
• Develop promotional activities (community wide campaigns, newsletters,
workshops, etc.) for both professionals and parents to increase awareness:
o that sex education needs to begin in the pre-school years
o that sexuality and sex education as a life-long process
o that starting talks early can promote good communication and comfort
between parents and their children, helping to transmit the knowledge,
family values and skills needed to make healthy sexual choices.
30

• Continue with the school-based sexual health education program, adding to it athome
activities that can be completed by students with their parents. These athome
sexual health education activities would:
o provide accurate sexual health information, enhance parent child
communications and reinforce the present school-based sexual health
education program.
o be provided in conjunction with the curriculum being taught at school.
o be promoted by the teachers and the public health unit to encourage the
participation of parents and students in the homework.
• Continue to provide parents with resources on request and through the library
ensuring:
o that the materials illustrate an open process of communication in which
adequate information is provided and a willingness to listen and converse
rather than lecture is encouraged.
o that up-to-date sexual health information is available and creative ways to
discuss the private and social topics are introduced.
• Future research directions
o Quality and frequency of parent-child sexual health discussions
o Gender differences in sexual health education in the home
o Complementary provision of sexual education by parents and school
31

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35

Appendix – Telephone script and Questionnaire
Survey of Parental Attitudes Towards Children’s Sexual Education
I1. Hello, I am calling on behalf of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. We are
conducting important research with the Thunder Bay District residents to learn more
about adult attitudes and comfort level when talking to their children about sex education.
This survey is about 4 minutes and is confidential and voluntary. Whether you
participate or not will not affect the services you may receive from the health unit. You
may choose not to answer any questions, or to end the survey at any time. Would you be
willing complete this survey with me now?
YES go to I2
NO Would there be a better time to call back?
NO I do not have any children or There are no children living here, Thank you
for your time and terminate (not eligible)
YES Record call back information
NO Thank you for your time and terminate interview (refused)
I2. Do you have any children aged 3 – 15 years old?
YES Continue with interview and go to q1
NO Thank you for your time and terminate interview (not eligible)
1. Please remember back to your own childhood. What was your main source of
information about sex? (Choose only one)
1. From my Mother only
2. From my Father only
3. From both my Mother and Father
4. From another family member
5. School
6. Doctor or Nurse
7. Counsellor
8. Friends
9. Books, magazines, television, the media
10. Somewhere else
11. Can’t remember
12. Refused
Now please think about your own children. If you have more than one child, please only
answer these questions about your eldest child.
2a) What is your eldest child’s birth date? Mm/dd/yyyy (month/day/year)
2b) Is your eldest child male or female? _________
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3. Who do you think should take the main responsibility for explaining sex and sexual
education to your children?
1. Myself only
2. My partner only
3. Both myself & my partner
4. Child’s friends
5. School
6. Doctor or nurse
7. Counsellor
8. Books, magazines, television, the media
9. Someone else
4. Which one of the following best describes how comfortable you feel when talking to your
child about sex?
1. Very embarrassed or uncomfortable
2. A little embarrassed or uncomfortable
3. Not at all embarrassed or uncomfortable
Tell me the level you agree or disagree with each of these statements about talking to your
children about sex education.
5. I do not feel equipped with the necessary information
1. Agree strongly
2. Agree slightly
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Disagree slightly
5. Disagree strongly
6. I do not feel confident to talk with my children
1. Agree strongly
2. Agree slightly
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Disagree slightly
5. Disagree strongly
7. I don’t know where to start
1. Agree strongly
2. Agree slightly
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Disagree slightly
5. Disagree strongly
8. Which one of the following statements best describes your present situation, in terms of
having discussions with your eldest child on sexual topics?
1. Have not and do not intend to do so Go to Question 9
2. Not yet but will do so in the future Go to Question 10
3. Have already had a full discussion Go to Question 11
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9. If you have decided not to talk to your child about sex, which of the following statements best
describes your situation, You may mention as many or as few as you feel apply.
1. I do not feel that it is my or our responsibility
2. The school should do it
3. School covers it well enough
4. There is plenty of information available to them about sex so I don’t need to
5. Child will find out about sex on their own when they are ready or the time comes
6. Have strong religious or moral beliefs
7. Talking about sex might encourage them to experiment before they are ready
8. Too embarrassed or uncomfortable
9. Don’t feel confident with the issues or able to answer all questions they might ask
10. Other reason
GO TO QUESTION 17
10. At what age do you intend to speak to your eldest child about sex?
1. 3 years old or younger
2. 4 years old
3. 5 years old
4. 6 years old
5. 7 years old
6. 8 years old
7. 9 years old
8. 10 years old
9. 11 years old
10. 12 years old
11. 13 years old
12. 14 years old
13. 15 years old
14. 16 years or older
15. Don’t know
GO TO QUESTION 13a
11. What age was your eldest child when you began to discuss sex?
1. 3 years old or younger
2. 4 years old
3. 5 years old
4. 6 years old
5. 7 years old
6. 8 years old
7. 9 years old
8. 10 years old
9. 11 years old
10. 12 years old
11. 13 years old
12. 14 years old
13. 15 years old
GO TO QUESTION 12
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12. Why did you decide to talk to your child about sex? You may choose as many or as few
answers as you feel apply
1. My child asked for advice
2. My child asked questions
3. I felt like it was the right time
4. I was worried about my child having sex and not being prepared
5. I felt that it was our responsibility as parents to do it
6. I wanted my child to hear the facts from me not elsewhere
7. I felt my child needed more than what was being provided at the school
GO TO QUESTION 13b
13a. When you intend to speak to your eldest child about sex, will you speak to them on your own or with
your partner?
1. I will speak to them on my own
2. My partner and I will explain together
3. My partner will speak to them on his/her own
GO TO QUESTION 15
13b. When you spoke to your eldest child about sex, did you speak to them on your
own or with your partner?
1. I spoke to them on my own
2. My partner and I explained together
3. My partner spoke to them
GO TO QUESTION 14
14. Which if any, of these topics have you already discussed with your eldest child? You may
mention as many or as few as you feel apply
1. Abortion or termination of a pregnancy
2. AIDS\HIV
3. Contraception or safe sex
4. Emotions
5. Going through puberty
6. Masturbation
7. Oral sex
8. Periods or menstrual cycle
9. Relationships
10. Sexual intercourse
11. Sexual orientation (e.g. homosexuality)
12. Sexually transmitted infections
13. Teenage pregnancy
14. None of the above
15. Refused
GO TO QUESTION 15
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15. And which, if any, of these topics do you intend to discuss in the future with your eldest child? You
may mention as many or as few as you feel apply
1. Abortion or termination of a pregnancy
2. AIDS\HIV
3. Contraception or safe sex
4. Emotions
5. Going through puberty
6. Masturbation
7. Oral sex
8. Periods or menstrual cycle
9. Relationships
10. Sexual intercourse
11. Sexual orientation (e.g. homosexuality)
12. Sexually transmitted infections
13. Teenage pregnancy
14. None of the above
15. Refused
GO TO QUESTION 16
16. And which, if any, of these topics would you not discuss with your eldest child? You may
mention as many or as few as you feel apply.
1. Abortion or termination of a pregnancy
2. AIDS\HIV
3. Contraception or safe sex
4. Emotions
5. Going through puberty
6. Masturbation
7. Oral sex
8. Periods or menstrual cycle
9. Relationships
10. Sexual intercourse
11. Sexual orientation (e.g. homosexuality)
12. Sexually transmitted infections
13. Teenage pregnancy
14. None of the above
GO TO QUESTION 17
17. What resources could help you to talk to your child about sex? Check all that apply. Read
each option to interviewee.
1. Pamphlets
2. Television show on how to talk to your child about sex
3. Presentations or workshops delivered in the community
4. Library Kits
5. Books or videos
6. Other
18. In what year were you born?
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19. What is your marital status
1. Single
2. Married
3. Common-law
4. Divorced
20. Are you male or female? (interviewer may complete)
Thank you for your help with this survey. Information from the survey will be used to improve
the sexual health teaching we deliver in schools and to improve our communications with parents.
Your responses will make a difference and help to ensure quality programming at the health unit.
If you would like more information we can provide you with contact numbers at the health unit.
For information on the survey itself, contact:
Lee Sieswerda, Epidemiologist, Thunder Bay District Health Unit
625-5957
For information on talking to children about sex, contact:
Peggy Pauluik, Public Health Nurse, Thunder Bay District Health Unit
625-5917
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