[Sidenote: Parents would limit knowledge of daughters.]
It was my original plan to make this lecture parallel with the
preceding one for young men, but much discussion with parents and with
scientifically trained women whose suggestions and criticisms I value
has shown me that there is no consensus of opinion as to what should be
taught to young women between eighteen and twenty-two years of age. I
have found many fathers and mothers who think that their boys of
fourteen or fifteen should be informed as suggested in the preceding
lecture; but concerning some of the facts for boys these same parents
were doubtful whether their daughters ought to know before twenty, and
some of them have said twenty-five and even thirty. Some of them have
said that they see no reason why an unmarried young woman of the
protected group should know much more than a very limited amount of
personal hygiene; but most of these people were decidedly hazy as to
how the young woman about to marry may be sure of getting belated
knowledge. In short, all along the line I have found intelligent
parents and others who believe in very thorough sex-instruction for
boys, but that "nice" girls should be kept as ignorant and innocent as
possible. With such disagreement existing, it is evidently not possible
to make such specific recommendations as have been made for boys.