It is not wrong for parents to talk about safe sex and drug addiction to their children.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, who said this, added that children needed to be educated on those issues, especially on how HIV/AIDS is spread.

“There has to be education from the community and schools and it should start early. More parents should be talking about safe sex.

“At least get them involved in other interesting activities,” he added.

Dr Ismail said parents should themselves be “educated and comfortable enough” to delve on such issues.

“They have to have a level of understanding themselves. It is not just talking about sex. They can talk about HIV/AIDS and clean needles or safe sexual practices,” he added.

He suggested that such discourse begin when the children entered secondary school.

“It may be more difficult once they are in college or university. There is also too much exposure in the media and Internet about such topics,” he added.

Dr Ismail had earlier delivered a special address at the Global Strategies on HIV and AIDS ahead of the Asia Media Summit 2007, which starts today.

According to Health Ministry statistics, there are 76,000 HIV/AIDS cases with more than 6,000 new ones diagnosed as of December last year.

Source : The Star, Malaysia, 29 May 2007