Sexual Health
A necessary part of each person's transitions in life is beginning to understand your sexual desires or sexual identity. Sexual health is a large piece of our always changing and maturing bodies. It's important for us to keep ourselves and others informed so we can all make safe informed decisions about our bodies. When it comes to sexual health, there are a lot of ways that we can make sure we are being safe and healthy with our sexual actions. There are a lot of sexual acts that don't even include sharing of fluids so that you are not at risk of spreading STD/STIs. We believe that in order to know when others are being inappropriate around the topic or act of sex, we must know how others should treat us when engaging in these acts. The number one way to silence those affected by molestation, rape, abuse, etc., is to remove their ability to know what is happening to them. Talking to young children about how our bodies work, and the boundaries we have for them, will increase the awareness these youth will have going forward. Knowing how to respect genitalia and bodies of those around us in crucial in our maturing process and sexual health.
Consent in All Spaces is a mechanism we can use to focus on how we would want to be treated in any given situation. We know that being forced to do anything is uncomfortable, and when it comes to sexual encounters there is a high tendency for people to abuse their position in the exchange of pleasure. This is not only a crime, but a tendency high enough that 1 in 4 people Assigned Female At Birth, or represent femininity, are sexually abused before the age of 18.
STDs/STIs
STDs/ STIs are important to notice early and should encourage all of us to get tested routinely.
HIV and AIDs
The reason we have great treatment for HIV/AIDS today is greatly due to the Activism lead but the LGBTQIA+ community, leaving the disease treatable/ preventable. PREP
I'm Looking for Resources on:
Knowing what kinds of relationships we have with the people around us can be very important. Our page on Relationships explains some of the ways that we can identify or relationships with others, but also how these relationships may affect us and the people around us. Avoiding Predators can also be something to look into that we prefer that all individuals prepare for.
The website above was provided by a person emailing us directly, it has a fully comprehensive directory to all of the Women and Children's Domestic Violence Shelters in the world, and links on where to find them. We are grateful that resources like this exist, but we also acknowledge that the oppressions and accessibility to these resources is directly what impacts someone's ability to be able to get any help at all.
Introduction on website:
"Domestic violence exploded during the first two months of the COVID-19 outbreak. In the U.S., there was a 30% increase in spousal/partner abuse towards women, and the U.K. saw a similar increase as well – 25%. Similarly,there has been an uptick in violence against men and the elderly, with financial strain caused by the pandemic being noted as the main stressor in domestic situations. Still, there is no updated, comprehensive resource that tells you where to go if you are suffering such horrible violence, or know someone who is a victim."