Sex Myths and Advice from Certified Sex Educator Gigi Engle
“Porn doesn't pretend to be sex education. Trying to learn sex
by watching porn is like trying to learn how to cook
by watching Hell’s Kitchen.”
— Gigi Engle
When it comes to sex and sexuality, there’s so much we’ve been socialized to stigmatize. From BDSM to sex toys, some things are just not taught in schools: how different are the clitoris and the penis? Is it actually more difficult to bring a female to orgasm? Is pain during sex okay? How can BDSM impact your mental health? Is penetrative sex the best type of sex?
In our latest episode of Sex Talks with Diana, we chat with Gigi Engle.
Gigi is an award-winning feminist author, certified sex educator and psychotherapist in training. She’s the author of the book All the F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life, “the ultimate sex-talk book, demystifying female sexuality without any of the awkwardness of ‘the talk.’” AKA “Sex handbook for the millennial feminist on how to own your body and sexuality, and use that confidence to take charge of your life.”
In this conversation, she challenges many of the narratives we’ve been exposed to and offers her sex-positive perspective on various topics. From how toxic masculinity can impact people’s attitudes towards sex toys to how mainstream porn can fill our heads with unrealistic expectations, Gigi offers some hot takes about body image, BDSM, and even mental health.
"A lot of what I do is challenging these messages we have about sex, challenging these conventional thought patterns that people have around their own sexuality being shameful or being bad. I'm like, where does that come from? Is this really real or is this something that you have internalized?"
— Gigi Engle
Tune in and learn what inspired her to write her book and hear all about her experience as a journalist focused on sex education and her experiences as a coach and sex therapist.
Find in this conversation:
The similarities between the clitoris and the penis
The intersection between BDSM and mental health
Misconceptions about female sexuality
People's attitudes towards technology and sex toys
Advice on masturbating for the first time
Advice on experiencing low desire
What is vulva mapping? Considerations on mental illnesses and sexual desire
How power structures can affect our sex life and relationships
“Kink can be as simple as holding your partner's wrists above their head with your hand. That is still bondage. You don’t have to go all the way to have good, kinky, fun sex.”
— Gigi Engle
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