How to Be Sexually Empowered

Becoming sexually empowered means that you take ownership of your sexuality, make your own choices, and respect your needs and desires. Different things can be sexually empowering to different people, so the journey will be unique to you. In order to become sexually empowered, you may have to break away from the stereotypes that society enforces on people and confront negative feelings that you have acquired about sexuality.

Learn about safe sex. In order to be sexually empowered, it is important to understand the potential consequences of sex and how to protect yourself from them. The more knowledgeable you are about sex, the better equipped you will be to make the right decisions for yourself.

·         There are a wide variety of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that you may be exposed to when you choose to have sex with someone. Using a condom can help protect you from transmitting an STI.

·         Pregnancy is also a potential consequence of heterosexual sex. There are a variety of ways to prevent pregnancy, so choose the method that works best for you. Barrier methods such as condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps provide protection during each sexual encounter, while hormonal birth control methods such as pills, shots, patches, and implants prevent pregnancy for longer periods of time.

Understand your rights. By law, you have the right to consent to each and every sexual experience you have. If anyone ever violates this right and forces you to have sex without your consent, this is considered rape.

·         Don’t feel like you have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing, no matter how badly your partner wants it. Being sexually empowered means you make the decisions that suit you best.

·         The law protects you from more than just unwanted sex. If anyone ever touches you in any way that you are uncomfortable with, you have the right to say no and to report the incident to the police if the person does not listen. You should also report any incidents of verbal harassment.

·         If you are raped or sexually assaulted, understand that it is never your fault. No matter what you were wearing or how you were acting, you were not asking to be assaulted.

Recognize gender role stereotypes. Gender role stereotypes are beliefs that a community holds on the way individuals of a specific gender should look or act. These beliefs are often untrue and can be very damaging to individuals who do not conform to the stereotypes. Most people are introduced to these beliefs at a very young age, so it's important to step back and challenge everything you think you know about gender roles.

·         These stereotypes often reinforce the beliefs that people should only be attracted to member of the opposite sex, or that men should hold the power in a heterosexual relationship.

·         It is important to recognize the double-standards that exist in gender stereotypes and to form your own opinions about them. For example, men who have multiple sexual partners are often encouraged by their peers, while women who have multiple sexual partners are often chastised for being promiscuous.

·         Individuals who do not fit within the confines of traditional gender stereotypes often feel ostracized and misunderstood. If this is the case for you, seek out support from like-minded friends and loved ones, or from a support group. There are a variety of support groups and hotlines for members of the LGBTQ community, for example.

Understand the power of choice. You don't necessarily need to be sexually active in order to be sexually empowered. While everyone finds empowerment in different ways, the most important thing is that you decide what you will do with your own body. If you choose not to have sex, that is your choice and you should not let anyone persuade you to do anything you don't want to do.