The pleasure imperative? Reflecting on sexual pleasure’s inclusion in sex education and sexual health

Rachel Wood*, Julia Hirst, Liz Wilson, Georgina Burns-O'Connell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article offers an empirically grounded contribution to scholarship exploring the ways in which pleasure is ‘put to work’ in sex and sexuality education. Such research has cautioned against framing pleasure as a normative requirement of sexual activity and hence reproducing a ‘pleasure imperative’. This paper draws on interviews with sexual health and education practitioners who engaged with Pleasure Project resources and training between 2007 and 2016. Findings suggest that practitioners tend to understand pleasure within critical frameworks that allow them to avoid normalising and (re)enforcing a pleasure imperative. Accounts also show negotiations with, and strategic deployments of, values surrounding sexual pleasure in society and culture. While some accounts suggest that a pleasure imperative does run the risk of being reproduced by practitioners, notably this is when discussing more ‘contentious’ sexual practices. Interviews also demonstrate that practitioners attempting to implement a pleasure agenda are faced with a range of challenges. While some positive, holistic, and inclusive practice has been afforded by a pleasure approach, we argue that the importance of a critical framework needs to be (re)emphasised. The paper concludes by highlighting areas for further empirical research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
JournalSex Education
Volume19
Issue number1
Early online date30 Apr 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

  • anal sex
  • Pleasure
  • pleasure imperative
  • rights
  • sex education, sexual health
  • young people

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