Mothers assume almost alone the sexual education of their children

PalmaA study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Educational Research and Innovation (IRIE-UIB) at the UIB, with a sample of 457 university students, suggests that open communication with one's mother has a direct impact on how young people experience their sexuality. According to the findings, when this dialogue is fluid and sincere, the sense of sexual self-efficacy increases. That is, the ability to make decisions, set boundaries, and act with confidence and autonomy. The presence of myths and misconceptions about sexuality also decreases.

The research also focuses on a less visible reality: the transmission of affective-sexual education within the family falls, overwhelmingly and almost automatically, on mothers. This responsibility is added to a set of care and emotional support tasks that have historically been assumed by women within the domestic sphere.

Mothers, the main references in sexual education

Both young men and young women declare that they talk much more about sexuality with their mother than with their father. In fact, young women are the ones who establish more frequent and open communication with their mothers. This pattern evidences, according to the study, a clear feminization of the task of accompanying, listening to, and guiding in sexual matters within the family.

The data show a clear relationship between the quality of this communication and the sexual well-being of young people. Those who have more open conversations with their mothers tend to feel more confident when managing relationships, expressing desires, or making decisions. They also present fewer erroneous beliefs about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, masturbation, or gender roles. In contrast, communication with the father does not show a significant relationship with these indicators: it neither improves sexual self-efficacy nor reduces myths nor favors healthier beliefs.

The study also highlights a chain effect: talking openly with one's mother not only provides information but also increases trust, and this trust helps to dismantle erroneous beliefs and build a more informed and autonomous sexuality. The researchers emphasize that the content of the conversations is as important as the way they are conducted. Messages based on fear, control, or shame can have counterproductive effects. In contrast, a respectful, close, and non-judgmental dialogue fosters a healthier relationship with sexuality.

Differences by gender

Although both boys and girls benefit from this type of communication, the effect is more intense in them. In the case of young women, the complete chain is detected more clearly: open dialogue, more personal security, more informed beliefs, and fewer sexual myths. In them, this relationship also exists, but in a less marked way.

Beyond the benefits, the study warns of a structural imbalance. The responsibility for addressing affective-sexual education continues to fall predominantly on mothers, adding to other care and emotional support functions that are often not recognized or shared. This fact, according to the authors, highlights an invisible burden that still persists within families and contributes to maintaining gender inequalities in the domestic sphere.

The researchers point out that the challenge is not only to encourage more talk about sexuality at home, but also to share this responsibility. If fathers continue to play a secondary role, an unequal division of educational work is consolidated. In the words of Dr. Victoria Quesada, co-author of the study, “if we want sexual education to be truly comprehensive and fair, it is not enough to ask families to talk more and in a more open way. We must ensure that this responsibility is shared, accompanied, and socially recognized. Because if we want a freer, more informed, and egalitarian youth, we also need more responsible and egalitarian homes”.