Why Take a Sex Positive Approach?
One goal of sex positivity is to make it easier to learn about our bodies, safer sex, and respectful relationships. A sex positive approach creates opportunities for everyone to access relevant information, and encourages discussion, so each person can make decisions about sex that are right for them. It can also help people understand their own needs when it comes to sex, including what they may enjoy. With this information, each person can better communicate with their partners and build respectful, strong relationships. Research shows that access to appropriate information about bodies and sexuality can help reduce the harms of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Not everyone is comfortable with the term sex positive, in part because there is a lot of misinformation about what it means. Being sex positive does not mean we have to be sexually active or that we must have certain types or amounts of sex. In fact, sex positivity supports all consensual sexual experiences and identities, such as abstinence, not having sex at all, having sex only within marriage, sex work, group sex, kink, and BDSM. Sex positivity creates the space to provide factual information about consensual sexual experiences and identities, without putting value on some as better or worse than others.
This video shares many perspectives on sex positivity from the STI/HIV Services team at BCCDC and our community partners: