Examining the Role of Sex Education in Maternal Awareness and Proficiency in Addressing Children’s Sexual Questions

This study was undertaken to examine the impact of sex education courses on mothers’ cognizance and their ability to adequately address inquiries of a sexual nature posed by their children. The research methodology employed was qualitative and descriptive phenomenology. The research encompasses mothers who participated in sex education training in Tehran during the years 2021-2022.A total of 20 mothers were selected through targeted sampling based on the following criteria: 1. At least 30 years, 2. At least a bachelor’s degree, and 3. Mothers with children aged between 3 to 5 years. Research data were collected from mothers’ lived experiences and semi-structured interviews concerning the significance of sex education. To ensure the validity of the research, consultations were conducted with professors specializing in psychology and qualitative research, resulting in an agreement coefficient of 0.86. Subsequently, all data were subjected to analysis utilizing the seven-step process of Colaizzi’s method in conjunction with MAXQDA version 18 software. The findings of this research were categorized into six principal themes: education, encompassing seven sub-themes; awareness, comprising four sub-themes; attitude, which includes three sub-themes; compliance, consisting of two sub-themes; reaction, represented by one sub-theme; and social life, featuring two sub-themes. It seems that providing education to parents enhances their awareness and equips them to address their children’s questions effectively. Therefore, it is advisable for professionals to enhance parental awareness and adequacy regarding sexual education by implementing comprehensive sex education courses. This initiative aims to prevent sexual deviations and foster the development of healthier children within society.