Are You Ready For The Three-Letter-Word Conversation?

I am a self-described open-minded person. I spent my early teen years in a country that one of its most important national icons was a cross-dressing singer: Zeki Muren… beautiful voice and a beautiful person (YouTube her name if you get a chance… you won’t be disappointed).

Upon arrival in Canada, we settled in the Westend, where it is internationally known as the gay and lesbian capital of British Columbia.

So it’s fair to say that I have been exposed to different lifestyles and hard to believe that I could ever feel uncomfortable about anything… until tonight!

Tonight, our daughter’s school had put together a seminar, which was “intended to provide parents with guidelines around what to teach their children and when”. The organization, Saleema Noon Sexual Health Educators, was going to talk to my baby girl about sexual health??? I don’t know why, but I was nervous and unsure. Although we have been trying to be as “open” as possible when it comes to talking about the topic of sexual health, I have to admit that it’s not an easy topic to participate in when children are involved.

Long story short, I am so glad that I attended the presentation because it reinforced what I had been saying all along: Best medication is prevention (fine, I have simply said what many others have said before me). I learned that my daughter’s class will learn (and I’m quoting here):

·         That they have ownership of their bodies

·         Scientific words related to sexual health

·         That reproduction usually happens when a man’s sperm joins a woman’s ovum by sexual intercourse, but that there are many different ways that families are formed. All families are unique.

·         That the baby grows in the uterus (not the stomach)

·         That the baby is usually born through the vagina

·         Not to pick up condoms or needles

What are listed above are hard topics of conversation but necessary ones… I am just glad that a real doctor will start the conversation and that my wife and I will have to simply follow the lead.

I don’t know about you but I wish I had a similar education when I was growing up... but that would’ve been unthinkable 30 years ago in a religiously driven and war-torn country of mine.

Thanks for reading,

Armin

PS. I think it was Sir Francis Bacon that said knowledge is power! Isn’t that the truth? Thank you Cambridge Elementary School and PAC for organizing tonight’s event.

As always, your comments are welcome! I hope you'll share your experiences with me.