I mentioned in a previous post that talking about sex is very taboo in my family. I have a big family and spend a lot of time with them so naturally I grew up uncomfortable talking about sex too. Because I could never talk to my family about sex, growing up and being sexualized by men at a young age was 100 times even more frightening than if I had someone to talk about it with. I wish that wasn’t the case but at least now I know many women have gone through that and it’s become a major topic in women’s issues. Anyways, naturally after middle school I ran into more people my age who were very open to talking about sex and swapping horror stories. I would always feel weird talking about it with friends but also very fascinated at how different they were from me. I had no idea people were so open about sex and their bodies and as I grew up I learned to become more comfortable talking about sex and acknowledging it as a normal and natural body function. This course also helped me realize that many people experience sex differently and that it’s perfectly okay. I learned more about transsexuality, homosexuality, and sex with body impairments. I loved exploring these different topics and also getting familiar with the ways I experience sex in my life and how I communicate with my body. Now I have no problem discussing sex and even though it’s still weird with my family I laugh about it now instead of shying away. My family still thinks I’m a virgin though. (As i write this post in my mom’s living room with the entire family next to me.)
Unruly Bodies 
Great topic of discussion ! I come from an African family and growing up we would never talk about sex, so I can totally relate to you. At a young age, we are taught that sex is a taboo and shameful thing to talk about. I would never discuss my sexuality with my parents not with my mom, and certainly not my dad. Growing up I was taught about so many different areas of life while I was a child except the “sex” talk. What I find interesting is I have no problem discussing about sex, I don’t see anything shameful or taboo about it, in contrary I believe it is something natural that we must teach our children at a very young age. Unfortunately, I don’t think our educational system does a really good job at teaching children about sex, gender, and sexually. I think they should start to incorporate a Gender Women Studies course in high school or even middle school, it will help young children get a better understanding about these topics.
Talking about sex is very difficult but I think very important! I have had much difficulty navigating this realm as well. I never want to put the person’s business out there or, from a cismale perspective, seem as if I am obectifying/sexualizing them in a grotesquely masculine fashion. In order to avoid these possibilities, I avoid talking about sex altogether; however, I think that talking about sex can be unharmful as long as, just like sex, it is respectful and consensual!