The sex-positive movement is about promoting sexual freedom, bodily autonomy, consent, and healthy relationships.
If you’re someone who identifies as sex-positive, you might feel like the world around you is evolving. You follow like-minded people online, you’re part of communities that embrace pleasure and open conversations about sex, and it can feel as though sex-positivity is becoming the norm.
But in reality, this can create an echo chamber, making it easy to forget that, for the majority of people, sex is still shrouded in shame, stigma, and fear. Outside of these sex-positive bubbles, the broader societal landscape continues to resist many of the ideas the sex-positive movement advocates for.
Misogynistic figures have gained massive influence, consent is still misunderstood, and many people become increasingly disconnected from their bodies and pleasure. Here’s why sex-positivity is so crucial today.
The rise of red pill ideology and slut-shaming 🚩
If you’re unlucky enough, your algorithm might have exposed to you some of the shockingly backward opinions a large number of men possess about women and sex, often coming back to the idea that women who sleep with a large number of men are worthless and not ‘wife-material’.
This resurgence of misogynistic ideologies have been epitomised by figures like Andrew Tate and the Red Pill community. These groups promote a toxic view of masculinity that thrives on slut-shaming, policing women’s bodies, and opposing female sexual autonomy. They perpetuate the idea that women’s worth is tied to their sexual purity, while encouraging men to see sexual domination as power.
This influx of young men and boys into these spaces has exacerbated issues like online harassment, consent violations, and the dehumanisation of women. The rest of the world stands back in shock at the sheer number of people who are coming out of the woodwork to agree with these backward and inherently hateful takes.
The sex-positive movement is needed now more than ever, to help society realise that desire and having sex is natural for all humans, and the concept of women being ‘dirty’ or ‘worthless’ for enjoying sex is a societal conditioning that needs to be unlearned.
The rise of Red Pill ideology is not only damaging to women but also poses serious risks to men’s own sexual expression and interactions. Rooted in deep-seated insecurities, men who adopt these harmful beliefs may feel pressured to conform to unrealistic ideals of masculinity. This insecurity can prevent them from feeling safe to be vulnerable and authentic in their sexual experiences.
As a result, they may struggle to connect meaningfully with others, trapped in a cycle of fear and mistrust that hinders their ability to explore their desires openly. In essence, the beliefs propagated by the Red Pill community not only perpetuate misogyny but also inhibit men from experiencing fulfilling and intimate connections.
The popularisation of kink & BDSM ⛓️
As kink and BDSM culture becomes more mainstream, the importance of exploring in a sex-positive social climate cannot be overstated. We can’t popularise kink and BDSM, without also having healthy ideas about sex in general and understanding the concept of consent, boundaries and safe practices. Seeking education from kink-aware professionals, whether through workshops, literature, or coaching, is vital to ensure that these explorations remain safe and fulfilling.
Explore BDSM practitioners on Sensuali.
Our increasingly mind-based world 🧠
In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven society, many of us are disconnected from our bodies, caught up in our heads as we navigate a constant stream of information from phones and computers. The digital world has become just that, literally another world, which we enter every time we have a screen in front of us. This is most noticeable in those moments where we look away from the screen that we’ve been staring at for hours, and suddenly check back into the real world, becoming more aware of our bodies and surroundings again.
As we increasingly rely on digital interaction, it’s really important to dedicate proper time to become more embodied, slowing down, reconnecting with our senses, and prioritising our sexual and emotional wellness.
We can do this through activities like exercise, dancing, yoga, meditation, but also through sensual touch, physical intimacy, massage and exploring what makes our bodies light us. This focus on embodiment is an important step in where we currently are in the sex-positive movement.
Investing in our sexuality: the next frontier of wellness 👣
Just as we invest in our physical and mental health, it’s time we take our sexual health and pleasure seriously as part of our overall wellness.
There’s a growing awareness that our sexual energy is directly tied to our well-being, yet many people are only just beginning to explore how bodywork, somatic therapy, and sexual healing can release trauma and bring a deeper sense of fulfilment.
Practices such as sexual bodywork and tantra are some of the most powerful tools for healing and self-awareness, yet they remain relatively unknown or stigmatised. The sex-positive movement is instrumental in normalising these practices, encouraging individuals to invest in their sexuality as a means of self-care, empowerment, and trauma release.
Explore sex coaches on Sensuali.
The fight for pleasure-based education 👩❤️💋👩
One of the most significant achievements of the sex-positive movement has been shifting the focus of sexual education from fear-based models (focused on preventing STIs and pregnancies) to pleasure-based models that celebrate sexual enjoyment, curiosity, and diversity. However, there is still a long way to go in making this kind of education universally accessible.
Many schools and institutions are still teaching outdated, shame-based curricula, leaving young people without the tools they need to navigate their sexuality with confidence and respect. One of the most pervasive issues in societal attitudes toward sex is the double standard that labels women who sleep with multiple partners as ‘dirty’ while men engaging in the same behaviour are often praised or admired.
This harmful notion reinforces a toxic, misogynistic narrative that shames women for their sexual choices, which down the line leads to many women completely disconnecting from their pleasure out of fear. It’s crucial to address this double standard from a young age, teaching children that sexual expression and choices are equally valid for all genders, and that no one should be judged or shamed for their consensual behavior.
It’s not only the education system that is still guilty for teaching children that sex is something ‘bad’ or something to keep quiet about. Instead of celebrating sex as a natural part of life, many parents still face a deep discomfort with discussing sexuality, even in its most innocent forms.
Parents, caught in a fear-based mindset, are quick to hide behind the idea of ‘protecting children’ from the internet or from discussions about sex and nudity, but this can often reinforce prudish attitudes that stifle healthy development.
While it’s crucial to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate content at a young age, treating sex and the body as inherently dangerous or shameful can be damaging in the long term.
The reality is that young children are naturally curious about their bodies and pleasure, and this curiosity should be nurtured in a healthy, age-appropriate way. Fear-mongering around sex and nudity doesn’t protect children—it drives their curiosity underground, leading to confusion and shame.
This is why pleasure-based education is so critical—not only in schools but also at home. Parents and educators alike need to recognise that teaching children about sex should be rooted in empowerment rather than fear.
Explore pleasure education on Sensuali.
Sex-positivity as a tool for healing ❤️🩹
The sex-positive movement is not just about promoting sexual freedom—it’s about healing from generations of repression, shame, and trauma.
For many, sex-positivity is a path to reclaiming pleasure after sexual trauma, abuse, or harmful conditioning around body image and worth. It’s about challenging the internalised messages that tell us our desires are wrong or dirty, and replacing them with a narrative of sexual empowerment and healing. As the movement continues, it will be vital to create more spaces for people to heal, access trauma-informed resources, and use their sexuality as a source of empowerment, self-discovery, and self-expression.
We are dedicated to the celebration of sex and sensuality here. On Sensuali we encourage you to explore your pleasure and desire as a vital part of your being, free from censorship or shame.
Iso
Iso is a writer and filmmaker based in East London. She is passionate about all things erotic and leads a sexy, shame-free life in hope that she can inspire others to do the same. Originally from a Northern seaside town, she is naturally drawn to the best things in life: candyfloss, trashy karaoke bars and heart-shaped sunglasses.
