ABSTRACT
The tense cultural atmosphere sometimes creates a “stick to the facts” kind of attitude for working with sexuality. Even though pleasure is a factual topic, it often gets left out because it is perceived as riskier than other topics. Incorporating pleasure information increases positive health outcomes, aids in harm reduction, and strengthens people’s abilities to make empowered sexual choices. Information on pleasure can be appropriately included with information about birth control, barrier methods, consent, safer sex, and abstinence. Impressive health outcomes are widespread in nations with more progressive attitudes towards the normalcy of sex and the reality of pleasure in sex. While comprehensive sex and pleasure education is a huge piece of helping today’s youth make empowered choices for their sexual futures, it will not help adults who have already gone through the school system. Working with pleasure issues with adults can heal some of the wounds and fill the gaps left by inadequate sex ed.
