by Madeline Scovotti

“The talk” – that infamously uncomfortable conversation few teenagers willingly initiate with their parents, and that many parents put off as long as possible.

It can be hard for both ends to muster up the courage to start this conversation, but recent findings in Boston’s own public middle schools highlight the importance of talking about sex.

When it comes to middle school, the majority of us will reminisce back to a time when relationships were measured in weeks, puberty made everything feel awkward, and we all suffered the more than occasional zit. My personal experience led me to conclude that middle school is a pretty confusing, awkward, and overwhelming time in a young person’s life.

Whether it was trying to conceal a cracking voice or figuring out how the heck a tampon worked, it was clear that the simplicity of childhood was coming to a rapid close. There was a lot to figure out about our bodies, our peers, and ourselves. For some, they had help along the way. For many others, however, they faced the threshold of adulthood completely on their own.

At the beginning of puberty, kids start to ask questions about relationships and sex. It’s a conversation that parents know they should have with their child, but one that can be difficult to have. From television shows and horror stories from peers, most teenagers probably know they should be having this conversation, too, but it’s way too embarrassing to bring up on their own. When both parties are too uncomfortable to start “the talk,” the only other outlets to get information about sex and relationships are pop culture, peers, and health classes that tend to start in high school.

Boston public middle schools have decided to take the job upon themselves by implementing a new sex education program that might make having that conversation a little bit easier. “Get Real: Sex Education that Works,” has been incorporated into the curriculum of Boston area middle schools over the past three years, according to Boston.com.

Through activities and workshops in the classroom, and take-home material for the students to complete with their parents, the program provides information on topics such as sex, STIs, relationships, and consent. Since its implementation three years ago, the schools have seen a 16 percent decrease in sexually active boys and a 15 percent decrease in sexually active girls, according to Boston.com.

This decrease in sexual activity can be attested to the key points of the “Get Real” curriculum. These points include providing medically accurate and age-appropriate information, promoting delaying the initiation of sexual intercourse for as long as possible, and encouraging correct and consistent use of protection methods when students do become sexually active, according to the program’s website.

Sexual health is one of the most important discussions to have, especially earlier on. According to the Family Foundation, nearly nine out of 10 parents of 13 to 17-year-olds report that sexual health is more of a concern than alcohol or drug use, violence, depression, or discrimination. “Get Real” provides the means for students to discuss and learn more about their sexual health in the classroom, while also allowing parents to maintain their role of primary educators at home.

This decrease in sexual activity at a young age could have positive effects on the students as they grow. For one thing, it decreases their chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection, or facing unplanned teen pregnancy.

Having sex isn’t a bad thing. Everyone has the right to their body, and to make their own decisions on their level of sexual activity. When a person is 12 or 13 years old, however, they might need a little more guidance with making those decisions, because of their lack of experience and information. That’s why it’s so important for schools to have good sex education programs that really prepare them for future sexual encounters.

Let’s face it, teenagers have sex, and telling them not to isn’t going to stop them. But, maybe putting them in a setting early on where they can freely discuss and learn about sex, safety, consent, and relationships will make them aware of what they’re doing and the reality of unhealthy relationships, STIs, and teen pregnancy.

As of today, “Get Real” is taught at 150 schools nationwide, according to their website. “Get Real” and programs like it should be taught in every public school across the nation, because everyone has the right to have access to sexual health information. Having reliable information on sex education available to them at a young age might help students make better choices when it comes to sex and relationships in the future.