Don't stop talking about sex

In the immortal words of Salt-n-Pepa, “Let’s talk about sex, baby.”

Yes, I want to spend this week’s column discussing the benefits of studying and talking about human sexuality — in both the college classroom and on the street.

Recent critics deem studies and conversations about sexuality inappropriate and unnecessary. Even members of the Opinion staff call the discussion of such material anywhere in public “disgusting,” regardless of intention.

However, these are the exact stigmas and harmful conceptions that I and thousands of others who study sexuality are trying to combat.

Shutting up about sex spreads the idea that sex, even when present in a simple discussion, is vulgar and sickening. This is incredibly damaging. It not only stigmatizes the action, but also those who engage in it — which feeds into a repressive societal model and the double standard that people, especially women, shouldn’t be allowed to discuss such things.

Similarly, silence about sex allows misinformation to propagate, leading to gaps in knowledge that could leave someone vulnerable. I believe we all have a larger ethical duty to continue talking about human sexuality and directly educating others about the topic.

Sex is a near-universal experience. Regardless of race, religion or creed sexual intimacy — or at least experiencing or discovering your own sexuality — is a trial of basic human experience. Learning about such experiences in a college environment, even in the most basic gender studies course, can lend to a higher understanding of valuable constants of the human condition — more so than, say, calculus.

It is incredibly useful to study sexuality through a historical lens. Not only is it fascinating, it allows us to better understand our past and the cultural environment in which certain ideas were fostered.

Many of today’s attitudes about sex can be traced back for hundreds of years, and their sources are almost always illuminating. Additionally, the study of sex in college is vital because it can fill the holes left by inadequate sex education in high school.

Outside of the basic mechanics, knowledge concerning human sexuality such as information about drives, desires, genders — yes, there are many — and pornography. Studying these is valuable because of both the increase in knowledge about the biological aspects of sex, as well as the gained understanding of the multitude of various sexualities our peers identify with.

In fact, a study conducted by Terry F. Pettijohn found that students who study sexuality become far more understanding and tolerant of others’ sexuality, reducing associations with shame or guilt.

Similarly, knowledge can increase the capacity for pleasure during encounters. Before the Kinsey Report in 1953, many people viewed women as asexual creatures, and knowledge of the female orgasm was slim to none.

With that being said, it’s fine to be conservative. But please, don’t tell us to shut up about sex.

Because as Salt-n-Pepa note, “That ain’t gonna stop it.”

mcaranna@indiana.edu
@marissa_caranna