The Power in Pleasure: Practical Implementation of Pleasure in Sex Education Classrooms

Koepsel, Erica R.

doi:10.1080/15546128.2016.1209451

Cited by 50 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In one sense, the sexualization of culture has placed women in the position of subjects who desire, not just that of subjects who are desired, but at the same time it becomes a form of regulation in which young women are forced to assume the current sexualized ideal [ 81 , 82 ] in order to position themselves as “modern, liberated and feminine,” and avoid being seen as “outdated or prudish” [ 83 ] (p. 16). Koepsel [ 84 ] provides a holistic definition of pleasure as well as clear recommendations for how educators can overcome these deficits by incorporating pleasure into their existing curricula. At present, sexual education is still largely centered on questions of public health, and there is as yet no consensus on criteria for defining sexual well-being and other aspects of positive sexuality [ 85 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review

Fernández

Martínez-Román

Carrera‐Fernández

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Adolescence, a period of physical, social, cognitive and emotional development, represents a target population for sexual health promotion and education when it comes to achieving the 2030 Agenda goals for sustainable and equitable societies. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of what is known about the dissemination and effectiveness of sex education programs and thereby to inform better public policy making in this area. Methodology: We carried out a systematic review based on international scientific literature, in which only peer-reviewed papers were included. To identify reviews, we carried out an electronic search of the Cochrane Database Reviews, ERIC, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and PsycINFO. This paper provides a narrative review of reviews of the literature from 2015 to 2020. Results: 20 reviews met the inclusion criteria (10 in school settings, 9 using digital platforms and 1 blended learning program): they focused mainly on reducing risk behaviors (e.g., VIH/STIs and unwanted pregnancies), whilst obviating themes such as desire and pleasure, which were not included in outcome evaluations. The reviews with the lowest risk of bias are those carried out in school settings and are the ones that most question the effectiveness of sex education programs. Whilst the reviews of digital platforms and blended learning show greater effectiveness in terms of promoting sexual and reproductive health in adolescents (ASRH), they nevertheless also include greater risks of bias. Conclusion: A more rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of sexual education programs is necessary, especially regarding the opportunities offered by new technologies, which may lead to more cost-effective interventions than with in-person programs. Moreover, blended learning programs offer a promising way forward, as they combine the best of face-to-face and digital interventions, and may provide an excellent tool in the new context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review

Fernández

Martínez-Román

Carrera‐Fernández

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Regardless of these limitations, our research is among the first to experimentally examine how young women’s perceptions of and behavioral intentions toward online sex talk are influenced by various factors such as level of anonymity, cultural background, and degree of closeness. Public discourse rarely recognizes women’s sexual desires and pleasure (Koepsel, 2016), often perpetuating traditional sexual norms. We join a number of feminist scholars who highlight the importance of acknowledging and validating young women’s sexual desires and pleasure (e.g., Lamb & Peterson, 2012) while recognizing their multiplicity of results toward sexual desires and pleasure due to their cultural backgrounds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young Women’s Sex Talk Online: Roles of Anonymity, Social Closeness, and Cultural Background on Perceived Appropriateness and Behavioral Intention

Taniguchi

Lee

Guan

2020

Psychology of Women Quarterly

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study, we examined the roles of anonymity and social closeness in predicting young women’s perceptions of “sex talk” (i.e., communication about sexual interests, enjoyment, and experiences) and intentions to post such content in cyberspace. We also examined cultural differences among Asian, Latina, and European Americans. A total of 466 undergraduate women from the three cultural groups participated in the online experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to either a low anonymity condition (i.e., Facebook) or a high anonymity condition (i.e., an anonymous online forum) where they were exposed to identical sex talk stimuli. The main findings showed that greater anonymity increased both the level of perceived appropriateness of sex talk posted by other female users and participants’ intentions to post sex talk online themselves. Compared to European American women, Asian and Latina Americans reported greater intentions to post sex talk online and perceived other female users’ sex talk posts as more appropriate. The results of this study prompt educators and practitioners to help young women strategically manage their impressions of sex talk online while being sensitive to women’s cultural backgrounds. They also suggest the need for further support from practitioners, educators, and parents to construct safe spaces for young women to engage open conversations about sexual matters in the digital space.

show abstract

“…Further, when open conversations about sexual pleasure occur, they enable adolescents to "interrogate where sexual stereotypes come from" (Koepsel, 2016, p. 223). This is particularly important for those who have experienced trauma, are from marginalized race and class backgrounds, are disabled, identify as asexual, or have gender identities beyond the heteronormative frame (Koepsel, 2016). Thus, a focus on pleasure moves away from disciplining individuals into normative ideas about how they ought to be, and moves toward enabling the discovery of identities in terms of the many different ways and meanings of "having sex", which both creates the necessary tools for pleasurable first sex and safeguards sexual health.…”

Section: Building Erotic Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rapid Review of Sexual Pleasure in First Sexual Experience(s)

Boydell

Wright

Smith

2021

The Journal of Sex Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While researchers have thoroughly studied the who, what, and when of first sexual experiences, we know much less about how people construct, experience, and proceed (or not) with sexual pleasure in these experiences and beyond. To address this knowledge gap, the Global Advisory Board for Sexual Health and Wellbeing (GAB) coordinated a rapid review of published peer-reviewed research to determine what is currently known about sexual pleasure in first sexual experiences. We found 23 papers exploring this subject and its intersections with sexual health and sexual rights. The results reveal significant gaps in erotic education, gender equity, vulnerability and connection, and communication efficacy; and highlight important domains to consider in future research. Our findings draw out the key features of pleasurable first sexual experience(s), namely that individuals with the agency to formulate their definition and context of what pleasure means to them are more likely to experience pleasure at first sex. This finding points to promising ways to improve first sexual experiences through erotic skills building and through addressing knowledge gaps about having sex for the first time among disadvantaged groups.

show abstract

The Power in Pleasure: Practical Implementation of Pleasure in Sex Education Classrooms

Cited by 50 publications

References 1 publication

Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review

Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review

Young Women’s Sex Talk Online: Roles of Anonymity, Social Closeness, and Cultural Background on Perceived Appropriateness and Behavioral Intention

A Rapid Review of Sexual Pleasure in First Sexual Experience(s)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About