Talking to Your Son About Sex

By Dr. Laura Berman

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Photo: George Burns

After our groundbreaking survey about talking to daughters about sex, many readers wrote in to ask what we should tell their sons about sex. We called sex therapist Laura Berman, PhD, to find out what mothers should say:

Always respect your partner and never pressure her into having sex.
Revealing sexual information or other personal details about a partner is a betrayal of trust. Locker room talk is often just that—talk—and you should not join in or make disparaging remarks about your partner.
Your body is a gift, so don't be in a hurry to give it away. (We tend to teach this only to girls, but boys also need healthy self-esteem about their bodies and sexuality.)
Sexual pleasure is one of the joys of life, but it should be a two-way street. You should give as well as receive.

From the July 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

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