SINGAPORE: Sex education for teenagers is now an SMS or an
Internet connection away.
Sex expert, Dr Wei Siang Yu, also known as Dr Love, has launched an
interactive sexual wellness online forum for teenagers to contact
him on issues related to sex.
"It is important for parents, teachers and lawmakers to work
together and understand today's teenagers from their perspective
rather than from our own," he said.
But will this hotline stem teenage sex and the transmission of
infection among teens?
Men's health expert and urologist, Dr Peter Lim, thinks it's worth
a try. "Well, we can't stop the march of progress; sex is so
rampant on TV. If you can't stop it, at least do it right. We have
to teach them to do it maturely and responsibly."
However, Dr Rosie King, a sexual health physician at the Sydney
Centre for Sexual and Relationship Therapy, had reservations.
"It's too late to talk about sex by the time they are teenagers.
Sex education should be taught in primary school," she said. "And
it does not have to be explicit".
Said Dr King: "The topic of sex can be brought up naturally, for
instance, when the dog has puppies, when Mum is having another baby
— it's a good time to talk to your children about it."
Studies have shown that children whose parents have talked to them
about the birds and the bees, "actually delayed sex".
Still, since teenagers might get wrong information from their
friends, the hotline is a much safer alternative, she added.
Dr King is also a past president of the Australian Society of
Sexual Educators, Researchers and Therapists.
Meanwhile, you can SMS your email address and sex questions to 9437
5683.
- TODAY/so
Do you know his email or the forum?
