See the Triumph
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Origins of See the Triumph
    • About our Research
    • Terms of Use
  • Blog
    • See the Triumph Collections
  • "Free Store"
  • Resources for More Information
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Origins of See the Triumph
    • About our Research
    • Terms of Use
  • Blog
    • See the Triumph Collections
  • "Free Store"
  • Resources for More Information
  • Contact Us
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Picture
The Triumph Over Abuse Blog

4/5/2014

What Does Sexual Health Have To Do With Sexual Violence Prevention?

By Ashley Maier, See the Triumph Guest Blogger

As someone who has worked against sexual and domestic violence for over a decade, you might be surprised to hear me talking about sexual health.  Or not.  I remember vividly, a few years ago, the director of a local sexual assault organization asking me why I talk about sexual health so much.  What does that have to do with sexual violence prevention?  Well, I told her, a lot. 

In any type of prevention work, we tend to talk about what we are against, what behavior we don’t want people to do.  We don’t want you to make sexist jokes.  We don’t want you to assault someone.  But what do we want?  That’s where sexual health, sometimes referred to as healthy sexuality, comes in.  There is a growing recognition that if we are to counter harmful norms, those often unspoken standards for behavior that facilitate sexual violence, then we must replace them with positive norms.  We talk about risk and protective factors – what factors increase (risk) or decrease (protective) the likelihood of sexual violence perpetration?  We would only get half way to our goal if we focused solely on risk factors.  We need both.

So just what is sexual health?  While there are several definitions, I prefer to say that sexual health is the opposite of “all the bad stuff.”  Official, I know.  Sexual health of course involves the absence of violence and exploitation, and it is also something that is unique to each individual.  Everyone has the right to experience their sexual life, sexual behaviors, the way they want to (as long as it’s all consensual).  This includes not experiencing sexual behavior at all, if desired.  It’s up to you and your partner(s).

This Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), as we work against sexual assault, let’s also work towards sexual health.  Let’s create communities and environments where sexual violence cannot take root – communities that are healthy, safe and just.  Sexual health lies at the root.     

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

About Ashley:  Ashley Maier serves as Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator as the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, primarily part of CALCASA’s prevention team. She has worked in the movement to end gendered violence for well over a decade. She began as a volunteer at a domestic violence shelter in Illinois, served as a hospital-based advocate in St. Louis, coordinated community health/family violence training programs for pediatric residents in St. Louis and San Diego, and managed Oregon’s Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) grantees. Ashley is a contributing author to Lantern Book’s 2013 publication, Defiant Daughters: 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals, and The Sexual Politics of Meat.

William H Goodson III, MD link
4/7/2014 06:07:40 pm

My goal has been to elicit empathy for women who have experienced sexual coercion or worse. Those who have been lucky in their own lives often do not understand how things like this happen and/ or are perpetuated in the lives of others.


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All About Intimate Partner Violence About Intimate Partner Violence Advocacy Ambassadors Children Churches College Campuses Cultural Issues Domestic Violence Awareness Month Financial Recovery How To Help A Friend Human Rights Human-rights Immigrants International Media Overcoming Past Abuse Overcoming-past-abuse Parenting Prevention Resources For Survivors Safe Relationships Following Abuse Schools Selfcare Self-care Sexual Assault Sexuality Social Justice Social-justice Stigma Supporting Survivors Survivor Quotes Survivor-quotes Survivor Stories Teen Dating Violence Trafficking Transformative-approaches