Desire, pleasure & healthy relationships, what school sex-ed should cover
Sex, love or intimacy?
Sex isn’t for everyone or every relationship. Sex is something you choose when you’re ready. There are loads of different reasons to have sex: , it can be because you love someone or for a bit of fun. But sex doesn't always equal intimacy, and you can be intimate with someone without having sex.
The important thing is that sex is consensual., It’s something you both want to do – every time. And if you don’t want to have sex, you don’t have to. Even if you said you wanted to and then it doesn’t feel right. You can stop at any point and that’s okay. You can also say yes to some things and not others.
If you feel pressured, forced or coerced into having sex of any kind, or you are substantially influenced by drugs or alcohol, you cannot give consent, this type of sex is not okay. In fact, it can be considered sexual assault. Learn more here.
Desire
Do you want your partner all the time or does your desire fluctuate? Desire or libido are context dependent. Desire and libido are influenced by your wellbeing, the stage of relationship and life events.
There are two types of desire – spontaneous and responsive desire. Join Georgia Grace, sex coach and somatic therapist as she explores navigating desire and understanding your own desire and that of your partners.
Desire
One of the most common reasons people seek support of a sexologist, a sex therapist or a sex coach is to get some help with their libido, desire, or their sexual appetite. This is common because sexual desire can be affected by lots of things.
Sexual Wellbeing Series: Desire - SEXtember
Healthy Relationships
What are the habits or behaviours of a healthy relationship? How do you feel? What are you willing to do for others, and what are you also wanting to receive in a fulfilling relationship?
Sexual Wellbeing Series: Healthy Relationships - SEXtember
Stress and Mental Health
How you're feeling mentally and emotionally can directly impact your sexual experience. At the moment, we've all been through a lot, and this can impact your relationship with your own body, and your relationship with others.
Sexual Wellbeing Series: Stress - SEXtember
About Georgia Grace
Find out more about NORMAL's resident sex coach and your guide through this wellbeing series.
Georgia Grace is a certified Australian sex coach, working with individuals, couples, and groups in supporting people to have the fulfilling sex lives they want. Georgia's training combines somatics (awareness of the body) with sexology (the scientific study of sexuality) to help her clients overcome blockages, form deep connections and experience more pleasure. Georgia also uses her popular Instagram account @gspot._ to share sex-positive education with a wide audience, and appears regularly in the media, from writing a column for GQ to chatting about sexual wellness on The Bachelor, Triple J's The Hook-Up and many more.