Older Children
Teenagers will probably be equally as embarrassed to be talking about sex as you are!
But if you have started talking to them about sex when they were younger, it will be easier. It is best to do this when you are both relaxed. It helps to not be face-to-face, so walking somewhere, on a car journey or doing something like cooking are good times for a conversation about sex. But make sure it’s a private space where you cannot be overheard by anyone else.
Schools cover puberty and what happens to the body during this time, but as a parent/carer it’s important that you explain this to them as well, so that you have good communication with your young person which makes it easier to talk to them about HIV.
These conversations could be about sex, puberty and how it feels to be a teenager with changing hormones and bodies and having more intense feelings.
If you do not know the answer to a question, tell your young person that you will find out the answer
