Are You Positive, Sex Positive?

When you hear the words “sex” and “positive” together, people usually think of either a) pregnancy or b) HIV test results. One could be a good event, the other, well, not so much. However, recently there have been talks of what people have coined as the “Sex Positivity” movement. If some of you are scratching your head wondering what exactly is it, here in this article we explain just that, and why you should care about it.

According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, the sex positivity movement mostly pushes for the idea that sex is a good thing for as long as it is healthy, safe, and outright consensual. Apart from encouraging positive attitudes towards sex, the movement also pushes for people to be comfortable with the sexual identity and behaviors of oneself and of others. 

Before you go start imagining people walking around and telling everyone to “HAVE SEX AND BE HAPPY ABOUT IT” in megaphones and banners, let’s first clear up a few things about what the movement is and is not:

1. First, Sex Positivity is not about pushing people to have as much sex as they can, whenever they can. While if this is your ultimate goal in life, that’s great and we wish you all the best, sex positivity is more about respecting and celebrating one’s agency regarding their sexual choices. For Sex Positivity, whether one decides to have a lot of sex or abstain from sex, all of these choices are things to be respected and celebrated ("Sex Positivity - Women and Gender Advocacy Center", 2017).
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Secondly, being sex positive means you’re okay with bestiality, and pedophilia, right? After all, all sex is a good thing, and anything sexual should be met with a positive attitude, right? Well, not really. One of the core concepts of the sex positivity movement is the concept of consent. Consent is one of the primary pillars of the movement, something which a child nor an animal can give ("Sex Positivity - Women and Gender Advocacy Center", 2017).
   
   
3. Lastly, in the sex positivity movement, all genders are welcome. Some people have the idea that the movement is only for females, partly due to the fact that between the two genders, women are more likely to be shamed for wanting and having sex than men. While that tidbit of information is true, the sex positivity movement also welcomes men and the issues that they face. Issues such as, being seen as weak when they wish to abstain from sex, wanting to experiment with sex toys, and other sexual issues affecting masculinity are also topics that the movement tackles in an effort to support both men and women in the movement ("Sex Positivity - Women and Gender Advocacy Center", 2017).

With all this information regarding the sex positivity movement, you may be asking yourself, “Why should I care about all this? I’m not having sex, and I’m not encountering any problems, so why should I care?” In the long run, movements like this help society and everyone in it by making it easier for people to have conversations about previously sensitive topics. Allowing conversation also allows for people to have better access to help and resources about sex, in the event that they need it. While it may not be a problem for you now, you might encounter problems regarding sex in the future, and the sex positivity movement is there to try to ensure that when you do, stigma won’t prevent you from getting the help that you may need.

Aaaaaand so that if and when you do have sex, you'll be able to enjoy it the way you're supposed to - without fear of judgement nor condemnation! Just remember - Must be, Safe, Sane, and Consensual!

Sources:

What does “sex positive” mean? | ISSM. (2017). Issm.info. Retrieved 20 September 2017, from http://www.issm.info/sexual-health-qa/what-does-sex-positive-mean 

Sex Positivity - Women and Gender Advocacy Center. (2017). Wgac.colostate.edu. Retrieved 20 September 2017, from http://www.wgac.colostate.edu/sex-positivity

By: AJ Lim