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Geneseo Sex[Ed]Geneseo Sex[Ed]From Victoria’s Secret ads that center thin, white, cisgender, abled-bodied women, to magazines that edit out any sort of fat from a model’s body, we’ve all seen examples of how bodies that do not fit the stereotypical idea of what society deems as “beautiful” be cast out. Those who do not fit the stereotypical ideas of being attractive are often ignored, insulted, and laughed at. These messages can cause insecurity and the belief that one’s body is “not good enough,” or “not pretty enough,” compared to their thinner, abled-bodied peers.
That’s bulls**t.
Our bodies are our own, and they are beautiful in their own right. And this applies to all bodies – not just those that fit societal standards of beauty, which are often rooted in white supremacy, transphobia, ableism, and fatphobia. Our bodies deserve better than snap judgments about appearance, function, or capability (including those relating to sexuality). And our bodies are not indicators of our value or moral worth.
People deserve to feel good about their bodies, regardless of what they look like. For example, one can appreciate how their body keeps them alive every day and allows them to do their favorite activities. Touch can bring comfort and pleasure regardless of any other considerations.
The body positivity movement has led to some improvements – for example, advertisements have recently started to include models of all shapes and sizes. However, more often than not, you will see a cisgender, white, abled-bodied model starring in an ad or TV show, proving that media has not yet caught up with the movement (Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign is a case in point). Thankfully, the body positivity movement is much more inclusive on social media, where you can often see hashtags like #bodypositivity and #selflove that are inclusive of all people, regardless of race, gender, ability, or sexual orientation.
Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves, both inside and outside of the bedroom. Let’s prioritize consent, communication, protection, and pleasure in our sexual experiences, and remember that our bodies are worthy of love, acceptance, and respect!
Has it been a while since you’ve familiarized yourself with your body? That’s OK! Here’s your chance to become reacquainted with your own anatomy. Self-knowledge is the first step towards sexual and reproductive health!
For those assigned female at birth (AFAB):
Labia majora: These are the big, fleshy lips on the outside of your vulva that protect everything inside. They’re called “large lips” because of their size. They have sweat and oil glands and grow hair after puberty.
Labia minora: These are the smaller, inner lips that are just inside the outer lips. They can be very tiny or up to about 2 inches wide. They surround the openings to your vagina and urethra—the tubes that lead to your uterus and carry urine out of your body.
Bartholin’s glands: These are small glands on each side of your vaginal opening that produce a little bit of fluid, which helps keep the area moist.
Clitoris: This is a small, sensitive bump at the top of your vulva, where your inner lips meet. It’s similar to the head of a penis and can get erect and sensitive to touch. It’s a main source of sexual pleasure.
Vagina: This is a muscular tube that connects the outside of your body to your uterus. It’s also called the birth canal because babies pass through it during birth.
Uterus (womb): This is a hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during pregnancy. It has two parts: the cervix, which is the opening that connects to the vagina, and the main body, called the corpus. The uterus can stretch to hold a baby, and it has a canal through the cervix that allows sperm in and menstrual blood out.
Ovaries: These are small, oval-shaped glands on each side of your uterus. They make eggs (which carry your genetic info) and hormones like estrogen.
Fallopian tubes: These narrow tubes connect your ovaries to your uterus. Eggs travel through them, and fertilization (when a sperm meets an egg) usually happens here. If fertilized, the egg moves to the uterus to grow.
For those assigned male at birth (AMAB):
Penis: This is the male organ used during sex and for urination. It has three parts: the root, the shaft, and the tip (called the glans). The glans is covered by a fold of skin called the foreskin, which can be removed through a procedure called circumcision. The opening at the tip is the urethra, which both urine and semen pass through. The penis becomes firm (erects) during arousal, allowing for sex.
Scrotum: This is a loose sack of skin that hangs behind the penis. It holds the testicles and helps control their temperature—keeping it just right for healthy sperm development.
Testicles (testes): These are oval-shaped organs in the scrotum that produce sperm and the hormone testosterone. They are about the size of large olives.
Epididymis: A long, coiled tube resting on each testicle, this stores and helps mature the sperm. During arousal, it guides the sperm into the vas deferens.
Vas deferens: These are long tubes that carry mature sperm from the epididymis to the urethra, located just behind the bladder, where they’re ready to be ejaculated.
Ejaculatory ducts: These tubes are formed when the vas deferens join with other glands. They release sperm into the urethra during ejaculation.
Urethra: This tube carries urine from the bladder out of the body. In males, it also carries semen during ejaculation. When the penis is erect, the flow of urine is blocked so only semen is expelled.
Seminal vesicles: These glands produce a sugary fluid that gives sperm energy to swim. This fluid makes up most of the liquid in semen.
Prostate gland: About the size of a walnut, this gland adds fluid to semen to nourish sperm. It is located below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Stimulating this gland can be pleasurable.
Bulbourethral glands (Cowper’s glands): Small glands that produce a clear fluid to lubricate the urethra and neutralize acidity from leftover urine, making it easier for semen to pass through.
The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It does not replace a personal relationship with a licensed health care provider and is not intended to provide medical advice. We strongly recommend that you make your health care decisions based on your own research and knowledge of your body, in collaboration with one or more licensed health care providers.
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