Inclusive Sexual Health Matters

September 24, 2020

Original post and resources from Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV)

“September is Sexual Health Awareness month and access to sexual health is a social justice issue. Even more than that, representation within sexual health field is a social justice issue. Comprehensive sexual health education helps achieve reproductive justice. I’ve described the need for sexual health education in previous blogs (right here and here) and noted that we live in a culture where messaging around identity and sexuality is often harmful. We are inundated with constant messaging about sex, sexuality, and body image with a goal that is shame-based leaving us feeling less-than, inadequate, or even broken. Across the United States, there are serious disparities in what type of education folx receive, whether or not it is medically accurate, and if LGBTQ+ folx are even allowed to be acknowledged within it. In most areas, the only information that is presented centers on STIs. Sexual health is so much more than STI information and basic anatomy. Sexual health means masturbation, body image, and pleasure. Sexual health is a vehicle for teaching about consent, sexual and domestic violence prevention/intervention, and equitable relationships. Sexual health means understanding how harmful gender norms make people more likely to experience violence…”

Read the original post and find additional resources here