I love looking at sexual health as the balance of pleasure and responsibility.

Isn't that language interesting? First of all. I love the word responsibility over abstinence. It requires us to be active in our reflection around our own values and how we can be responsible in the world with our body.

I also love that there is such a beautiful, thoughtful, intrinsic dialogue between these two words. Sexual health is not just pleasure OR responsibility, it's the balance between the two. It requires an ongoing level of engagement and rebalancing.

As a culture we seem obsessed with making these words oppose one another. For example, we represent the pleasure of sex to look like there are no boundaries or limits. Or we talk about the dangers and responsibilities of sex while dismissing or avoiding any discussion of pleasure.

How easy is it for you to balance these two values when it comes to sexuality? Do you find yourself leaning towards one direction over the other?

What are some ways your body likes to experience pleasure?
How do you balance this with appropriate boundaries?