Intimate puberty - four myths about sex

Myth 1:
Girls menstruate earlier today

No - both endocrinologists and paediatricians agree on this. It is true that the age of the first menstrual period in girls has shifted forward over the past 200 years. In the 19th century, menstruation is said to have started at around the age of 17. However, the sources for this are disputed. In 1970, however, the average age was already 12.5 years. Since then, this level has been maintained. Anything within the deviation of 9 to 15 years is normal.

Myth 2:
Young people are getting down to business earlier and earlier

Wrong, mum and dad can breathe a sigh of relief. Young people value trust, loyalty and a relationship more than a fleeting adventure. They are also increasingly taking their time for the first time. A global study by Lancet magazine revealed the following picture: In a comparison of seven industrialised countries, British men start their sex life the earliest - they are then 16.5 years old on average. Their counterparts from Switzerland and Norway, on the other hand, wait on average until the age of 18.5. Girls waited a similar amount of time, write Kaye Wellings and her colleagues from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Overall, young women and men in industrialised countries experienced their first time at a comparable age. Young people in newly industrialised countries are noticeably older when they have sex for the first time. In Armenia and Kazakhstan, for example, the average age of the first time for women and men is 20.5 years.

Myth 3:
Young people are brutalised by internet porn

No. It is not internet porn, but the social environment that determines how young people experience intimacy. Social scientists speak of love maps that adolescents form even before puberty. These love maps are shaped from an early age by experiences from the non-sexual sphere. For example, through relationships with others, how you perceive yourself and your own body or how people treat each other in the family. This means that porn meets an existing structure of desire in teenagers. They are interested in videos that correspond to their love map. Most find conventional heterosex arousing. However, when it comes to blatant things like anal sex, many young teenagers think that the fun stops.

Myth 4:
Children ask questions themselves when they want to know about sex

«This is an unfortunate misconception,» says sex educator Bernadette Schnider. «Children and young people need a door opener to ask questions.» Parents should therefore approach their children and broach the subject in an appropriate situation. It is also important to respect if a child prefers to find out for themselves - or asks their older brother about sensitive topics. As a basic principle, it is advisable to orientate yourself to the children's questions and answer them honestly according to the child's age. Parents must allow their child's natural curiosity, as this is the basis for their later attitude towards sexuality.