Sexual Rights and Responsibilities

**Trigger warning: This topic includes subject matter on sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Please take care in deciding whether you would like to continue reading**

We all embrace sexual health quite differently, whether its a product of our culture, our social circumstances, our views, our experiences, or our education and upbringing. We approach the subject with our own perceptions and that is completely okay. There is nothing wrong with feeling timid or unsure about talking about sexual health. However, I do want to bring it to the forefront today to talk about a very important issue: sexual rights.

Its important to know what sexual rights are, because sexual rights are human rights. By that I mean they are universal, and are entitlements for every human being on this Earth. They are relevant to each and every one of us, because we all have sexual rights. Having these rights, like any other human right, does not mean that these rights are honoured. In fact, it doesnt even mean that they are universally agreed with. I respect any and all opinions on sexual rights, but I want to encourage dialogue about it, and that is the objective of this forum post.

Ultimately, sexual rights can be summarized as the freedom to go about sex and sexuality, however you choose to, without infringing on the sexual rights of others. No one is excluded from having sexual rights. No matter your background, identity, culture, gender, race, religion, etc. you have sexual rights. This means you have the right to have access to sexual health resources, and to have knowledge and information on sexual health. This means that you have the right to say no to unwanted sexual advances. This means that you have the right to privacy in any aspect of your life involving sex, sexuality, and sexual health. There are more sexual rights and you can find them all listed here.

With sexual rights comes responsibility. This is, ultimately, the responsibility to accept the sexual rights of others. This means respecting any choice of another that has to do with sexuality, sex, or sexual health – so long as they are not infringing on the sexual rights of another.

I encourage you to take a look at the above link and familiarize yourself with your sexual rights. With knowledge and information we can empower ourselves by knowing our rights. We are also then able to share those rights with others and share in the journey to the respect of sex and sexuality for all of us.

All my love,

Lee.