Tips Before Discussion

Why parents/guardians should discuss with the kids about sexual and reproductive health & rights:

Your kids are going to hear about sexual and reproductive health & rights, from their friends, from surfing the internet, and by watching television. By getting in first, you are making sure that they receive the right information and more importantly, that they know how you feel about it.
You are influencing what your kids will one day do about sex. Kids that receive good sexual and reproductive health & rights education are more likely to avoid having sex, to delay having sex, or when they do start, they are more likely to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Begin a conversation about sexual and reproductive health & rights early and continuing that conversation as the child grows. The topics should vary depending on the age of your kid.
When talking to your children about sexual and reproductive health & rights, make sure you explain things in a way that is developmentally appropriate.
You do not have to explain everything at once, you should do a lot of small, frequent, repetitive conversations with your child.
You should avoid giving one big talk when the child reaches adolescence, when they may think they already have the information and won't be receptive.

Parents/guardians may assume the school system will take care of their child's sexual and reproductive health & rights education, and so choose to say nothing.
Parents/guardians may postpone talks about sexual and reproductive health & rights until they see evidence of the child having a relationship; for example, if their child starts dating or comes home with a love bite on their neck. These talks can turn into arguments because they can become a discipline issue rather than an opportunity to provide advice and guidance.
Parents/guardians tend to show embarrassed or awkward body language when talking to their child about sexual and reproductive health & rights: for example, avoiding eye contact.
Fathers tend to avoid taking part in sexual and reproductive health & rights education discussions.
When fathers do talk to their children about sexual and reproductive health & rights, they limit the conversation to less intimate issues.
Mothers are more likely to talk about intimate, emotional, and psychological aspects of sexual and reproductive health & rights than fathers.
Mothers talk more about sexual and reproductive health & rights to their daughters than their sons.

Younger children may be curious and interested when parents talk about sexual and reproductive health & rights issues.
An older child may feel like they know it all and that their parents/guardians couldn't possibly teach them anything.
An older child can be dismissive when their parents/guardians discuss sexual and reproductive health & rights with them, which shakes parental confidence.
The child can feel as embarrassed and awkward as their parents/guardians and may prefer not to talk about sexual and reproductive health & rights with them at all.
If parents don't ever broach/raise the subject of sexual and reproductive health & rights, the child tends to assume the parents/guardians don't want to talk about it - so the child never bothers to ask.

The parents/guardians to be good listeners.
The parents/guardians provide truthful answers to the child's questions. But they must be careful about the child's age.
The child is allowed to have opinions about sexual and reproductive health & rights issues and voice them without fear of getting yelled at or punished.
The parents/guardians don't insist that the child sticks to strict and inflexible standards of behavior.
The child feels listened to, understood, and supported by their parents/guardians.