Learning Session 3: Why can it be difficult to talk about pleasure?

Introduction

Figure 3.1 A young couple ‘making out’ in the park

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This is a photograph which depicts a man and woman lying on grass in a park. The man is on top of the woman and she is holding him in an embrace. They are kissing passionately.

Figure 3.1 A young couple ‘making out’ in the park

In the previous learning session, you learnt why it is important to talk about pleasure, and used the risk-based versus positive distinction to explore the consequences of not incorporating pleasure in our CSE practice with young people.

By now, it is probably clear that many of us do not find talking about sexual pleasure easy – either in our own lives or when we’re communicating with young people. In this learning session, we will explore the reasons for this. Learning sessions 4–6 which follow are full of ideas to enable you to weave messages about sexual pleasure into your work with young people. By the end of this session, you should:

• understand that there are social norms, values and pressures around sexual pleasure, especially for young people, and that these influence how and whether we speak about it
• have reflected on your own values and experiences and considered the ways in which these affect how you teach about sexual pleasure
• recognise that young people are resourceful, and that you as an educator do not have to have all the answers.