Providing sex education to children in their early years might prove advantageous for a lifetime, a new research by the Georgetown University's Institute for Reproductive Health shows.
According to the researchers, children aged between 10 and 14 are the most vulnerable as they are building up their identities and are mostly open to new ideas and influences.
The researchers explain that this time frame is an opportunity for parents, teachers and healthcare providers to help children's transition into healthy teenage and adulthood years.
"Ten is not too young to help girls and boys understand their bodies and the changes that are occurring. Ten is not too young to begin to move them from ignorance to knowledge," senior author Rebecka Lundgren, MPH, and the director of research at the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University, said in a press release.
Lundgren further said that the parents, health experts and teachers need to reach 10 to 14 year olds, to teach them about their bodies and support development of a healthy body image and a strong sense of self worth. "We also need to hear their voices -- the voices of the under-heard and underserved. Ten is not too young," Lundgren noted.
Researchers stressed the need to widen focus to include boys, laying a foundation for both girls and boys to learn and communicate with peers, parents, teachers and health providers. This results in developing positive self images and healthy practices in order to move this age group from vulnerability to empowerment.
The study findings were published in the journal Global Public Health.
