Dear Pastor,

Growing up in Jamaica and even in the United States, having sex was a big deal and you couldn't wait to be able to say that you did it. However, as an adult and a parent, you come to the realisation that there are far-reaching implications for engaging in sex, especially unprotected sex. The issues and consequences are so varied; from having children and not being able to care for them, sexually transmitted diseases or even death in some cases.

I do believe that young people should wait, because there is so much satisfaction from waiting and sharing yourself with someone that God has made for you. I recognise that this is easier said than done because, in these times, our children are exposed to so much about sex in the media.

M.,

Dear M.,

One can only hide so much from children. Sometimes I hear people blame parents for a lot of things and some parents feel hurt because they know that they have tried to protect their children from viewing adult material. What parents should do is to teach their children what to expect and what to do if they are approached by anyone to engage in anything that is inappropriate. Girls should be told that other girls should not touch them inappropriately, neither should boys. And boys should be warned of everything, and to report any man who introduces homosexuality to them. If anyone should cross the line, they should report that person to their teachers, guidance counsellor, and inform their parents.

Some parents and guardians really try to protect their children from looking at certain movies. And the parents may even boast about how lovely their children are, but when the children go to school, their colleagues tell them all that they know about sex and what they saw dad and mom watching on cable TV. And the kids who live in homes where privacy is scarce, see their parents and older siblings having sex. So it is a mighty big struggle to keep your children away from the type of sex education that one may consider to be unhealthy.

Don't forget that many children are savvy in using the computer and the Internet does not discriminate. A child can log in on certain websites and view porn and get any type of information.

Pastor