We're big fans of Brook's BeSexPositive campaign - its mission to challenge society's negative perceptions of sex and give young people the information and support to make healthy decisions about sex is something we support and want to play a role in. One of the campaign's volunteers Hayley, took the time to write and video blog about what sex positivity means to her.

Hayley

Hi! I’m Hayley, I’m 24 and I’m from London. I’ve been involved with Brook’s BeSexPositive campaign for about a year. I have always been passionate about public health and young people’s rights, and to me the campaign is a really great example of a group of young activists reaching out to other young people to educate, inform, and create change.

Why is sex positivity important?

Young people’s sexual health is still such a taboo subject and it can be really embarrassing for a young person to talk about. Despite becoming more present on the political agenda, sex and relationship education is still not compulsory in schools. This means that many young people are not getting comprehensive information about things like contraception, consent, STIs, and pregnancy choices. If they do find themselves in a situation where they need help, they might not know where to turn. If they do visit clinics, they are often faced with unsociable opening times or long travel distances, concerns about confidentiality, and doctors who make them feel ashamed and guilty for having sex. SH:24's free home testing service provides an opportunity for young people to access sexual health care in their own time while still being able to access text support from the team and NHS clinicians.

A (sex) positive future

In the future, I would like to see continued awareness about sex positivity. A major goal of the campaign is to see sex and relationship education made compulsory in schools. I want to see education that teaches about gender, sexuality and consent. I want to see more and more people speak up in the face of homophobia, transphobia, and partner violence. I want to see society embrace a broader definition of sex and sexuality. Most importantly, I want to see a future that provides young people with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their sexuality – and most importantly, respects and supports those decisions.