[fao_]

It's not about making it 'not special', it's about putting it in the category of the other experiences you mentioned.

I doubt people feel uncomfortable or anxious when talking with their parents about eating -- or at least, if they do something is deeply wrong with the parent/offspring relationship. Nobody should feel embarrassed to talk about the bike trip they went on. People shouldn't hide the secateurs under the bed for fear their parents will find out that they want to start gardening.

Thus it can be seen that we treat sex more differently than we do any of the experiences you listed. That does not mean making it less special, or dulling the experience in any way -- rather removing the taboo aspect of it, and allowing people to talk about it freely.

This allows young people to get a better idea of what 'safe sex' is, and makes them more likely to speak up if they have questions or have been assaulted.