How well do you know yourself,
down to your sexual desires?
Have you tried exploring what you enjoy, think about what you prefer?
Maybe we are not used to such direct questions, but it is
within our right to know all about ourselves and what pleasures us.
Maybe, we are scared of the labels others might put us under.
Especially since it has become quite normal in our culture to point
fingers, call women "malandi" whenever one of us openly voices
our sexual needs.
But what if we change the way we perceive
"Landi?"
Because expressing ourselves sexually doesn't make us bound for danger.
Our sexual expression is not a path to trauma, or should be something we fear.
Pleasure is an important part of our autonomy—our right to decide for ourselves freely and responsibly.
In fact, when we make room to openly talk about our needs and our experiences,
we are given a better opportunity to pinpoint what might actually be harmful to
us without putting ourselves in a place of guilt and shame.
The same applies for learning about contraception. If you’re having a hard time learning about
contraceptives other than through your own research, then you are not alone.
According to our survey, 54.9% of 108 Filipina college students in Manila feel that contraception is taboo and is hard to talk about openly.
But girl, equipping yourself with that knowledge simply makes you empowered. Protecting yourself during your sexual encounters gives you less to worry about, so you have more time to think about your enjoyment!