What is sex?
(First, find out why your child in interested in knowing. You need to know what his/her frame of reference is in order to answer the true question. Parents have a tendency to overreact to this question. Parents sometimes feel compelled to give too much detail in the answer as a way to “get it over with.”)

A possible answer could be: Sometimes the word “sex” is used to describe if a person is a boy or a girl. When people talk about sex as something that happens, they mean a physical act two people use to show they love each other and to create a family. It is very private and wonderful. Do you want to discuss it more?

How does a woman become pregnant?
When a man and woman have sexual intercourse, the man ejaculates semen, about one tablespoon of fluid that contains thousands of tiny sperm cells, into the woman. The woman can become pregnant around the time she ovulates (releases an egg from the ovaries). She is fertile for several days prior to ovulation with the egg cell living about 12-24 hours. All total she is fertile for about 7 days. When one sperm cell manages to find and enter the egg cell, fertilization or conception occurs, and the woman becomes pregnant. After 9 months, the new baby has grown so big that it is ready to be born.

Can you get pregnant from kissing?
No. Kissing is a way that people show they care about each other, but it’s not the way that a woman becomes pregnant. To conceive a baby, a man and a woman have to have sexual intercourse (exchanging bodily fluid), or make love, by joining their bodies, not just their mouths.

Can you get pregnant the first time you have sex?
Yes. Anytime you have sex, you open up the possibility of becoming pregnant, whether it’s your first time or not.

How old do you have to be to get pregnant?
Once a girl has begun menstruating, her body is usually capable of becoming pregnant. When a boy begins going through puberty and begin sperm production, he is then technically able to make someone pregnant. The age at which each person becomes able to reproduce varies from around age 9 to 16 for girls and 10 to 17 for boys.

What is an erection?
The penis is made up of soft tissue that has blood vessels. When the penis is physically stimulated the vessels fill up with blood, causing the penis to grow larger and stiffen. Sometimes, especially during adolescence, this can happen fairly easily. Boys more readily experience sexual arousal visually than girls do.

What is ejaculation?
When the penis is stimulated, it often results in a climax, or orgasm, and a release of about 1 tablespoon of semen. Semen is composed of seminal fluid and sperm. This is called ejaculation.

Will a guy get sick if he gets an erection and does not ejaculate?
No, this is a common misconception.