This book on sex education will help parents talk about sex with children

The book will soon be available online and in schools

In the world's second most populous country, discussing sex is still a taboo, especially if the conversation is between children and parents. To try and dissipate that discomfort, five psychiatrists have come together to compile a book that contains 101 frequently asked questions around sex, and explains them in the simplest manner to make children aware about the birds and bees.

Dr Neha Shah and Dr Arman Pandey

The group of psychiatrists - Dr Armaan Pandey, Dr Neha Shah, Dr Kersi Chavda, Dr Avinash DeSousa and Dr Anjali Karira - have attempted to address the queries and dilemmas most parents have while discussing sex education with their children during the growing up years in their book Sexuality Begins at Home.

Guiding adults and children
"Many of us hold workshops on sex education at schools, where students ask us how to talk to adults about the doubts or queries they have. This leads to misinformation, as they often fail to get guidance from parents or teachers.

Sex education at schools would have helped in handling the issue but as it is not available, we thought of guiding adults so they could guide the children," said Dr Shah. The book has 13 chapters on topics ranging from puberty, sexual orientation and relationships to pornography and sexually transmitted diseases.

Signs of abuse
"We have jotted down points where parents can identify if their children are facing anything abusive. If the child refuses to go to visit someone or appears scared if someone is present, it might be a sign that needs proper evaluation.

So, we have instructed adults not to dismiss it as a rude or anti-social behaviour and evaluate the signs," said Dr DeSousa. The book would soon be made available on online stores and schools. "We would try to keep in display at schools for parents and teachers. But it also depends on the school authorities [if they want to use it]," said Dr Shah.