The Catholic Youth Federation says it is important that young people talk more about sex and that education is much more effective if it is taught in homes, religious places or schools. Young people are not encouraged to talk about sex, even with their parents, but attitudes are changing, said Thilan George, president of the Catholic Youth Federation at the Sacred Heart Church in Kandy. “I never heard my mother use the word ‘sex ’,” he admitted at an awareness program for Sunday school children aged 10-17 at the Sacred Heart parish hall on Tuesday. More than 50 boys and girls attended the event. “Parents do not encourage open discussions about sex, especially among teenagers,” he said. “But we believe these discussions will make youths more aware of the problems and dangers of premarital intercourse.”