Who should give the birds and the bees talk?

When New York City schools announced a new mandatory sex-ed curriculum for middle school and high school students, it set off a heated debate, with the public asking just who should be talking to kids about the birds and the bees?

On "The Early Show," sexuality educator and author Dr. Logan Levkoff sounded off on the sex-ed debate.

So why should sex ed be taught in school as well as on the home front?

"I'm a parent and a sex educator so I operate in two different worlds. There's no question parents should be talking to their kids about sex and sexualities from the time they're born on," Levkoff said. "But we teach our kids about safety and sexuality from the time they're born. This isn't just about sex. We're talking about anatomy and sexual development, healthy choices, responsibility, consent, respect, and these are all topics that it's never too young to learn about."

What do kids have to say about this?

"I would say it would be easier for a teacher to talk to you because you don't have to live with them you know?" a teen said.

Levkoff points out that there are a number of parents who have a hard time talking to their children and teens about sex, therefore, "good sex-ed supplements what parents are doing all the time. I don't have enough time in the classroom with every student to give them everything that parents should be doing, but we have to work together, parents and school systems together."

Some kids may shut out their parents and feel uncomfortable, so will they do the same with their teachers?

According to Levkoff, that doesn't happen. "They want sex education. Research told us time and time again they want comprehensive sex-ed in schools, they want to know they deserve the education. And the way to get through to young people is not to belittle them, suggesting their feelings are unimportant or relevant, saying 'you're young, you'll get over it,' " she explained. "We often omit the big picture, which is pleasure. Once we stop talking about that or deliberately omit it, we lose our teens. We have to be honest with them and give them accurate, healthy information."

If the parents aren't involved and it's only the schools teaching it, do the kids still come away with the same message or do the parents have to be involved as well?

"Parents should always be involved but my job as a sexuality educator is not to teach my own personal values. I give a range of perspectives, let students explore them themselves and I say go home and talk to your parents about these issues," she said. "Parents give the values, I give the facts and that's what a good sexuality program is about. There's nothing as being too young. Kids at 11 are exposed to the sexualized imagery in pop culture, same sexual language and they need the same language."

Bottom line, Levkoff says, you're never too young or old for sex-ed.

She said, "My oldest students are 82 and they need the same information and good healthy sex-ed."