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Sex Positive

Sex positivity recognizes that sex is a part of life that can lead to pleasure, joy, and wellness, as well as the possibility of unwanted outcomes. We include perspectives on what sex positive means to different people and across different cultures.

Sex positivity (or being sex positive) takes a non-judgmental approach to sexuality and sexual health. It recognizes that sex is a part of life that can lead to pleasure, joy, and wellness, as well as the possibility of unwanted outcomes. It does not prefer some sexual activities, experiences, or relationships over others (with consent), and it celebrates all identities.

While dominant colonial and religious cultural norms can shame and/or ban specific forms of sexual activity and sexual identities; sex positive is a more inclusive approach. There are many ways to explain being sex positive.

Cultural Understandings of Sex Positivity

Andrea Boyce, a Tsq’escen, Secwepemc educator with Chee Mamuk at BCCDC explains that as an Indigenous person, sex-positivity is “part of your spirit, identity and who you are as a person.” Sex positivity includes teaching about sacredness of bodies and sex, and the roles of men, women, and Two-Spirit people, practices that were common before contact. Learn more from Andrea in this video:

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: