Oh, yes! It’s Sexual Health Month.
🍑 September is Sexual Health Month or Sexual Health Awareness Month, a time to focus on our sexuality in every way possible. That does NOT necessarily mean you should participate in wild orgies or slide into your ex’s DMs (although you’re free to do so; we won’t judge). Sexual health is all about sharing knowledge and demystifying that key part of our lives we usually keep under the covers.
To contribute to this month’s goal to raise awareness on the importance of sexual well-being, Boldlatina brings you four Latina-led brands that work hard to help people reconnect with their bodies and live their sex lives to the fullest.
What Does Sexual Health Mean?
Sexual health is a broad concept that’s both biological and culturally defined. Our bodies play a big part in our sexuality, but so do race, ethnicity, religion, our personal experiences, even the laws we follow as citizens.
According to the World Health Organization, sexual health “is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries”.
These are some of the most popular sexual health topics:
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Relationships
- Body image
- Intimacy and pleasure
- Reproductive health
- Sexually-transmitted diseases
Nonetheless, not many people know the importance of sexual health in both societies and our own lives.
4 Sexual Health Brands You Should Try
1. Bloomi
The Bloomi is an online marketplace solely dedicated to intimate care products. Its Latina founder, Rebecca Alvarez Story, was moved by her mother’s illness and used this first-hand experience to experiment with beneficial ingredients.
Story ventured into the world of hygiene for people with vulvas, designing comfortable dildos, organic pads and period underwear. As a sexologist, Rebecca is proud to watch over women’s interests and desires in a way that doesn’t interfere with the body’s natural processes. For instance, thanks to her commitment and dedication, she created a line of pH balanced moisturizers that keep us clean and protected.
2. Maude
Maude is a sex wellness startup founded by entrepreneur Éva Goicochea, who has Mexican, Spanish and Native American ancestry. As Maude’s CEO, she specialized in soothing body scents, essential oils and sex-tech products designed to be enjoyed both alone and with a partner.
The business was such a success that, according to Forbes magazine, Maude recently announced a $5.8 million Series A round. This brings its total funding to more than $10 million. This is a big milestone for the sex wellness industry as a whole. Thanks to Goicochea, sexual health is thriving more and more.
3. Dipsea
Dipsea is an open door to an audible fantasy of your dreams. Their intimate sex stories awaken our deepest urges of physical connection, but do so by creating a safe digital space for the listener. Dipsea’s unique approach to erotica will light a fire under your wildest fantasies.
This brand is all about sexuality empowerment. Their co-owners, Gina Gutierrez and Faye Keegan, believe that “Everyone’s into something”, and wish to help you find what you’re into. Their sexy tales are as diverse as can be and devise scenarios that go from gentle caresses to the craziest of nights. Consent is a key part of Dipsea’s stories and they try to emphasize that aspect in everything that they write, record and release.
4. Unbound Babes
Unbound Babes is a sex toy company that designs all the dildos, lubes and vibrators you can imagine. Its CEO and co-founder Polly Rodriguez launched this New York City-based business with a thirst for fun.
In a spotlight interview with Refinery29, the Latina entrepreneur shared her story as a cancer patient and how that catapulted her relationship with sexual health. Mistreated by doctors who forgot to mention the permanent consequences of radiation, Rodriguez decided she wanted to make women feel good about their sexuality, especially when buying sex toys.
Why Is Sexual Health Important?
Even though sexual health touches many areas of our lives (pun intended), some basic needs are not yet addressed in third-world countries. For example, recent sexual health facts of Latin America and the Caribbean show us that the use of modern contraceptive methods is only 67%. This is a direct threat to reproductive rights, especially for women. This and other statistics should function as a wake up call for countries to give sexual health the importance it deserves.
Talking about these issues is also a way of preventing sexually-transmitted diseases like HIV and HPV. This is especially important for queer people. For example, most cis women receive information about contraception, but nothing is said about proper methods for lesbians against herpes or genital warts, such as dental dams.
Nowadays, an increasing number of health, education and legal professionals are addressing sexual health in an holistic and interdisciplinary manner. However, these battles for acceptance must be fought constantly, for there are threats to the LGBTQIA+ community at every turn.
Fortunately, there’s a booming sex wellness industry whose main goal is helping people feeling comfortable in their own skin. In this article, we introduced you to 4 amazing health brands that do exactly that.
The four Latina-led sexual health brands we showed you teach us that leaving taboo out the door is fundamental to assure real equality in our societies. Sexual wellness helps people feel accepted and free to live their lives as they choose, fulfilling their true potential.
So, during Sexual Health Month, let’s take advantage of the occasion and focus on ourselves, our bodies and our feelings for a bit, because this is a moment we owe to ourselves. Let’s build a better sexual health world one masturbation at a time!
