As a manufacturer of contraceptives for several decades I have a few things to say about sex. I think most people would agree that a great sex life is a win-win. It’s not just about one partner. While I know it is problematic to compare gender equality with sex, I do think the best sex can’t happen without it. Regardless of role play or fantasies, sex which is bad for one is ultimately bad for both.
Good sex not only makes you feel good, it allows you to see beyond yourself. There are endless songs and poems about transcendent intimacy. A romantic experience gets you outside of yourself. Think about it. Sexual fantasies tend not to take place in a toxic landfill, a slum, or on the shores of a polluted lake. Each partner leads the other to somewhere better. The journey and destination are both compelling. In fantasies, we like to imagine ourselves in a better world, anew, and with someone special.
Good sex doesn’t have to be a fantasy. To make it real, however, requires skill. It is deliberate. There is no room for laziness. Sex encumbered by disease and ill considered consequences are amateurish at best. If disease-free doesn’t work for you, you’re doing it wrong. For sex to be profound, we need to move toward our potential. That means fewer unplanned pregnancies and more young women staying in school. It means better family planning which supports stable households and communities which, in turn, promotes economic development as well as better management of resources. Only then does the full fantasy envelop us in a crescendo of comfort and luxury.
We don’t need to stop the music. Good sex can save the world. That’s why the Gates Foundation considers women’s access to family planning as an economic, environmental, and civic issue. Similarly, the #HeForShe movement emphasizes the benefits of gender equality for both sexes. Finally, the #Showyourselfie campaign links gender equality and youth empowerment to Global Citizen’s goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030.
“The nature of our business is already a good cause, and beyond this, It Takes Two is the focus of my vision for social responsibility at Naked Condoms. In addition to giving hundreds of thousands of condoms each year to family planning initiatives in low income nations such as Venezuela, my goal is for 50% of profits from Naked Condoms to go towards campaigning efforts furthering women’s empowerment and increasing access to family planning services and information for girls and women everywhere. This is where my heart and soul is and the story I really want to tell at Naked Condoms“.
~ Jud Ireland CEO Naked Condoms.
Thinking about just how good sex can be, how it can be better for everyone, may mean we need to rethink a few things… but there’s no downside to it!
For myself, this has led me to rethink condoms. Condoms, being one of the most popular, safe, and widely available means of contraception, should not just be thought of as “for men.” Condoms are equal opportunity. That’s why I’m proud to say that Naked Condoms is not only pledging to support Global Citizen’s campaigning work for gender equality, but will also donate 20% of future profits to family planning and global health initiatives around the world.
Women, just like men, should expect safety and pleasure during sex. Condoms for women is more than a new option; its making the world a better and sexier place!
ARTICLE SOURCE:
~ This article was originally posted on GlobalCitizen.org.
Global Citizen. (JULY 9, 2014)
from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-good-sex-can-save-the-world/
Attitudes concerning birth control have changed dramatically. Attitudes are important because they reflect our willingness to discuss issues such as birth control, women’s health, or HIV. Clearly, there’s a lot more to condoms than a single topic of conversation. As one of the world’s most popular forms of contraceptive, their impact is enormous. Not only are condoms on a level with modern medicine, environmental sustainability, and women’s rights in terms of global impact, they enable them.