“Your cries, they can be heard from far and wide. It’s only the two of us; Everything I need’s between those thighs” Daniel Caesar – Get you.
Naively swaying to this jam, I find myself having a conservative convulsion! What did he just say!? Whose thighs!? Why would he say that!? Is he referring to her…? Oh no, is this even legal?
Welcome, to the most sensual age of all time. In this era sex is not only proudly displayed in public but its also spoken about more publicly. So, why was I still moved when someone mentioned S.E.X? Why are you so comfortable with this subject?
One afternoon as colleagues and myself were signing out, and the farewell chats started to simmer down my lingering ear caught a colleague telling another that above all in this Corona pandemic, all she wishes for on this cool friday night was dick! He is not a man but an appendix of a man. ”I miss dick…” as she sighed and they giggled. I of course could not relate but found this casual and honest declaration of one’s sexual desire fascinating and bold. Christine Laplante said it best, “No amount of talking about sex is going to diminish the mystery of the experience of it. Sex is Sacred, Not Secret.”
Sex and sexuality have come to shape modern life in profound ways. In a world with multiple alternatives for safe sex, endless information sites for sexual and reproductive education, and continous passive and active exposure to sexual content, sex is everywhere and in everything.
While sex continues to assert its self as a prominent figure of modern life, it also leaves a string of questions in its path. Why is South Africa’s newly infected HIV rates highest among adolescent youth? Why is teenage pregnancy still a social issue? Why do we as a people struggle with rape, GBV and infidelity issues – JubJub wag vir jy? How is it that in an age of medical innovation and outstanding discoveries, the biggest threat to infertility is untreated STI?
I believe all of this is because of our misunderstanding of the subject at hand. You see, just because sex and sexuality has a strong hold on our generation it does not mean that we understand it very well. Just like our national alcohol problem, we don’t know how to handle our sex. We either religiously dismiss it or carelessly overindulge in it. Thus, sex the beautiful moter between 2 people has now infested our societies and created animosity among us. It is not enough to see, hear, talk, experience and read about sex and sexuality, we need to understand it. Education is crucial in understanding.
A few years ago after getting tired of the same conversations regarding our own sexual experiences, childhood traumas and my increasing exposure at work to other young people’s mishaps as a result of poor sexual and reproductive health these issues planted a seed that would germinate into a campaign – Ubusha bami, futsi yimi lo – My youth and this is me! Ubusha bami is a sexual and reproductive health educational campaign that seeks to create a healthy and positive experience around the topic of sexual and reproductive health among young people. Shamelessly without prejudice, judgement or stigma, Ubusha bami aims to engage conversations around body function, social norms and psychological interactions regarding sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, we want to make sexual and reproductive health a tangible, informed choice earlier in life rather than later.
What to expect
You’ll be exposed to 5 series with 3-4 topics each throughout the year addressing facets of sexual and reproductive health. The series gives you access to thought provoking articles, authored by young South Africans. Our articles are tailor written with our audience in mind, namely, young adults, teenagers and early- teens. We will also feature and praise one organisation or movement relating to sexual and reproductive health for you to check out with each series.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” A famous saying by Albert Einstein and a fulfilled prophecy by SA today. The secrecy and passive engagement with matters of sexual and reproductive health regarding young people has gained us A-grade insanity status. Time to try something new, time to handle sex as delicately as it has needed us to. With Confidence and boldness… Own your decisions!
We’ll see alcohol in the second round! For now, hit us up on socials and in the comment section.
Ubusha Bami futhi yimi lo – My youth and this is me! ©