Emerson College Library: Sexual Health : Home

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External Resources

Emerson Wellness Center
Provides accessible health care and programming related to STI testing, contraception, GYN visits, PrEP/PEP and gender-affirming care for Emerson College students.
Massachusetts General Hospital Sexual Health Clinic
Promotes sexual health by providing screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections as well as preventive services, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Boston Public Health Commission
Provides free and low costing testing, treatment (including partner therapy), and education throughout Boston, MA.
Fenway Health
Advocates for and delivers innovative, equitable, accessible health care, supportive services, and transformative research and education. They center LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC individuals, and other underserved communities to enable our local, national, and global neighbors to flourish.
BAGLY (The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth)
A youth-led, adult-supported social support non-profit organization located in Boston, MA that works to protect, expand, and raise awareness for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth (LGBTQ+).
Pleasure Pie
Pleasure Pie is a sex-positive education organization in Boston, MA. Their approach to sex education is based in sexual justice and intersectional liberation. They celebrate diverse sexualities, bodies, relationships, genders, and desires. Their zines are a down to earth, inclusive, trauma-sensitive way for adults and teens to learn about sexuality. They also lead sex ed workshops for colleges & organizations.
Scarleteen
Scarleteen is a progressive, inclusive sexuality and relationships education, information and support organization, and digital clearinghouse.
Planned Parenthood - Get the Facts on Sexual Health
A blog by Planned Parenthood providing factual answers to commonly-asked questions about sexuality, gender identity, and sexual health.

Sexual Health Fair

Emerson Owned Resources

The Body Is Not an Apology
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems.
Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook by Sonya Renee Taylor
Based on the New York Times bestseller The Body Is Not an Apology, this is an action guide to help readers practice the art of radical self-love both for themselves and to transform our society.
Authentic Self-Love: A Path to Healing the Self and Relationships by Sepideh Irvani
We've all heard the cliche: before you can love someone else, you have to love yourself. But what does that actually mean? What does it mean to truly love yourself? Why must you love yourself before you can experience a meaningful relationship? How can you recognize authentic love? Clinical Psychologist, Sepideh Irvani, Psy.D., answers these questions and more in Authentic Self-Love: A Path to Healing the Self and Relationships. Interdisciplinary in nature, Irvani draws on a range of psychological, philosophical, and theological theories and analyzes them alongside secular literary texts to show the reader what it means to authentically love one's self. Distinction is made between the self-loathing of Narcissism and authentic self-love: one is destructive and the other healing, respectively. She offers tips to the reader about how to improve relationships with one's self and others, and provides context for healing.

The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender by Christina Richards (Editor); Meg John Barker (Editor)
The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender combines cutting edge research to provide a thorough overview of all the normative - and many of the less common - sexualities, genders and relationship forms alongside psychological and intersectional areas relating to sexuality and gender.
50 Great Myths of Human Sexuality by Pepper Schwartz; Martha Kempner
50 Great Myths of Human Sexuality seeks to dispel commonly accepted myths and misunderstandings surrounding human sexuality, providing an enlightening, fascinating and challenging book that covers the fifty areas the author's believe individuals must understand to have a safe, pleasurable and healthy sex life.
The Languages of Sexuality by Jeffrey Weeks
The Languages of Sexuality offers concise and incisive essays on key words and concepts which have played a significant role in shaping our understanding of contemporary sexualities and intimacies. Nearly a hundred essays illuminate the terms related to sexuality in fresh, and often unexpected ways, with entries ranging from 'abjection' and 'abortion' to 'transgender and 'Viagra'.

ACE: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that's obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity. What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face-confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships-are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience.
Understanding Asexuality by Anthony F. Bogaert
Written by an expert in the field who has conducted studies on asexuality and who has provided important contributions to understanding asexuality. This timely resource will be one of the first books written on the topic for general readers, and the first to look at the historical, biological, and social aspects of asexuality. It includes firsthand accounts throughout from people who identify as asexual. The study of asexuality, as it contrasts so clearly with sexuality, also holds up a lens and reveals clues to the mystery of sexuality.

(A)sexual
This groundbreaking film introduces viewers to men and women who have never experienced sexual attraction. In 2000, David Jay came out as asexual to his parents, a quality he accepts about himself. And David is not alone; studies show that as much as one percent of the population may be asexual. Living in a society obsessed with sex, how does one deal with life as an outsider? In (A)Sexual, people describe firsthand the challenges of acknowledging to themselves--and others--their asexuality.

Sex Talk: The Role of Communication in Intimate Relationships by Carey M. Noland
This book presents research that identifies the most salient issues related to communication about sex in relationships and explores these issues in a format that will improve the understanding and practice of sexual communication. What is missing in sex education? An understanding of relationship issues, an understanding of how to communicate with partners, and an understanding of gender differences that affect communication between the sexes. Sex Talk: The Role of Communication in Intimate Relationships was written to inform, influence, and expand individuals' understanding of sexual communication and the dynamics of sexual relationships.
The Relationship Fix: Dr. Jenn's 6-Step Guide to Improving Communication, Connection & Intimacy by Jenn Mann; Harville Hendrix (Foreword by)
Based on cutting-edge research and almost three decades of clinical experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, Dr. Jenn Mann teaches you everything you need to know have a deeper, more satisfying relationship, and the skills to fix one that isn't working.
Overcoming Fears of Intimacy and Commitment: Relationship Insights for Men and the Women in Their Lives by Herb Goldberg
Through the use of in-depth psychological insights, noted author-psychologist Herb Goldberg, takes the reader through twelve phases of romantic relationships. From the initial excitement to the time when things fall apart, he explores the "gender undertow," prescribes remedies, and describes the healthy relationship from both perspectives, offering tips and advice for both men and women. Taking his starting point from the perspective of men in relationships, Goldberg lays out the concerns many men have - from fears of intimacy to the recognition that one's partner may not be perfect. Addressing the most common problems that may stem from these relationship troubles, he guides readers through the fears and troubles that may arise and offers cogent advice in an effort to bring men and women together in healthier and more intimate unions.
Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy: Why Women Settle for One-Sided Relationships by Jill P. Weber
Here, Jill Weber explains why women feel forced into a male model of dating that barters sex for the unrealistic hope that it will lead to emotional intimacy. What it leads to for the woman, most often, is disappointment, despair, and impaired self-esteem. "Sextimacy," as Weber terms it, traps women in relationships that are one-sided and lack emotional intimacy. When this happens, women routinely blame themselves instead of realizing they should blame their romantic strategy. This book, in a step-by-step progression, shows a better way to break the cycle and cultivating better relationships. It teaches women how to recognize when they are in a Sextimacy event as opposed to the beginning of a mutually fulfilling relationship that won't leave them racked with morning-after regrets. And it gives clear direction about what women can do to find warm romantic partnerships that serve their needs.

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown (Editor)
How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Editor Adrienne Maree Brown finds the answer in something she calls 'Pleasure Activism,' a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition the contributors to this volume take up the challenge to rethink the ground rules of activism.
American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus by Lisa Wade
Offering invaluable insights for parents, educators, and students, Wade situates hookup culture within the history of sexuality, the evolution of higher education, and the unfinished feminist revolution. Using new research, she maps out a punishing emotional landscape marked by unequal pleasures, competition for status, and sexual violence. She discovers that the most privileged students tend to like hookup culture the most, and she considers its effects on racial and sexual minorities, students who "opt out," and those who participate ambivalently.
The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability by Miriam Kaufman; Fran Odette; Cory Silverberg
The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability is a long-overdue self-help sex guide for the millions of people living with disabilities and chronic pain and illness. For sufferers of ailments from chronic fatigue syndrome and spinal cord injury to multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and others, the book provides encouragement, support, and expert information on sex positions, orgasm, and sex toys. It also features illustrations, a resource guide with hundreds of books, websites, and organizations.

Fucking trans women. : A Zine about the Sex Lives of Trans Women
A zine about the sex lives of trans women. Contains adult themes and strong language.
The Anatomy of pleasure / Muse Entertainment (Firm)
Which is more enjoyable-the satisfaction of desire, or the sensation of longing itself? This program looks at the emotional, neurological, and genetic aspects of seeking and gaining pleasure, analyzing close ties between the search for gratification and the preservation of self and species. Examining a wide range of ways to follow one's bliss-including sex, artistic creation, the consumption of favorite foods, and high-risk behaviors like gambling and rock-climbing-the program explains the crucial role played by endorphins and other body chemicals in these activities. The dangers of addiction and the relationship between physical and spiritual ecstasy are also explored.
Decoding Desire / Earth-Touch USA LLC.
The birds do it. The bees do it. It seems we all do it. But we like to think we are different from other animals. So are we? Decoding Desire unravels the mysteries of sex and desire, exploring how sexual diversity and the experience of pleasure itself may be the key to a species survival.

Boston Public Library Resources

The Art of Receiving and Giving: The Wheel of Consent by Betty Martin; Robyn Dalzen
In this book, Betty guides the reader through the Wheel of Consent framework, and shares practices to help us recover the ability to notice what we want and set clear boundaries. While the practices are based on exchanges of touch, they can also be learned without touch. In these practices, we discover that the Art of Giving includes knowing our own limits so we can be more generous within those limits, and not give beyond our capacity - a common problem which creates feelings of resentment or martyrdom. We also discover that the Art of Receiving invites us to notice and ask for what we really want, and not just what we think we are supposed to want. This knowledge, and its embodied practice, is foundational for creating clear agreements and bringing more satisfaction into relationships.
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks
In The Will to Change, bell hooks provides a compassionate guide for men of all ages and identities to understand how to be in touch with their feelings, and how to express versus repress the emotions that are a fundamental part of who we are. With trademark candor and fierce intelligence, hooks addresses the most common concerns of men, such as fear of intimacy and loss of their patriarchal place in society, in new and challenging ways. The Will to Change "creates space for men to acknowledge their traumas and heal--not only for their sake, but for the sake of everyone in their lives" (BuzzFeed).
Come As You Are: Revised and Updated by Emily Nagoski
A revised and updated edition of Emily Nagoski's game-changing New York Times bestseller Come As You Are, featuring new information and research on mindfulness, desire, and pleasure that will radically transform your sex life. For much of the 20th and 21st centuries, women's sexuality was an uncharted territory in science, studied far less frequently--and far less seriously--than its male counterpart. That is, until Emily Nagoski's Come As You Are, which used groundbreaking science and research to prove that the most important factor in creating and sustaining a sex life filled with confidence and joy is not what the parts are or how they're organized but how you feel about them.
Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel
A New York City therapist examines the paradoxical relationship between domesticity and sexual desire and explains what it takes to bring lust home. One of the world's most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships.
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: a Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown; Hess Love (Foreword by); Grace B. Freedom (Afterword by)
In this exploration of what it means to be Black and asexual in America today, Sherronda J. Brown offers new perspectives on asexuality. She takes an incisive look at how anti-Blackness, white supremacy, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and capitalism enact harm against asexual people, contextualizing acephobia within a racial framework in the first book of its kind. Brown advocates for the "A" in LGBTQIA+, affirming that to be asexual is to be queer--despite the gatekeeping and denial that often says otherwise. With chapters on desire, f*ckability, utility, refusal, and possibilities, Refusing Compulsory Sexuality discusses topics of deep relevance to ace and a-spec communities. It centers the Black asexual experience--and demands visibility in a world that pathologizes and denies asexuality, denigrates queerness, and specifically sexualizes Black people.
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib
Samra Habib has spent most of her life searching for the safety to be herself. The men in her life wanted to police her, the women had only shown her the example of pious obedience, and her body was a problem to be solved. A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt out of place and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one's truest self.
The Remedy: Queer And Trans Voices On Health And Health Care by Zena Sharman (Editor)
To remedy means to heal, to cure, to set right, to make reparations. The Remedy invites writers and readers to imagine what we need to create healthy, resilient, and thriving LGBTQ communities. This anthology is a diverse collection of real-life stories from queer and trans people on their own health-care experiences and challenges, from gay men living with HIV who remember the systemic resistance to their health-care needs, to a lesbian couple dealing with the experience of cancer, to young trans people who struggle to find health-care providers who treat them with dignity and respect. The book also includes essays by health-care providers, activists and leaders with something to say about the challenges, politics, and opportunities surrounding LGBTQ health issues.
Queer Sex: A Trans and Non-binary Guide to Intimacy, Pleasure and Relationships by Juno Roche
In this frank, funny and poignant book, transgender activist Juno Roche discusses sex, desire and dating with leading figures from the trans and non-binary community. Calling out prejudices and inspiring readers to explore their own concepts of intimacy and sexuality, the first-hand accounts celebrate the wonder and potential of trans bodies and push at the boundaries of how society views gender, sexuality and relationships.