It's important that we increase health awareness around the topics of sex, because sexual partners are sharing fluids and bodily contact, which can permanently affect one's health. Being aware of all the health positives and awareness of potential negatives, is what allows for a person to make an informed decision, which is required for proper Consent. No one should ever be pressured into having sex, which includes any type of convincing, talking someone into, or suggesting something should happen. Consent should be clear and enthusiastic, for all partners involved. Someone should never be so caught up in their own pleasure, that another person's pleasure, comfort, or consent is over-ridden or ignored. 

Often people who want to have conversations about sex, are not doing so in a way that is comfortable, consensual, and/or without assumption. These traits can build habits that are predatory, and unsafe for people to engage with. It's vitally important that we learn how to de-sexualize the conversations around sex, so that we can be both clinical and caring about the way we interact with eachother's bodies. If there are people significantly older than you, or that have power over your position in a work place, try to engage in conversations about sex (specifically without your invitation); its likely that they often participate in that type of predatory behavior. 

Often people in community don't want to call out the prevalence of the predatory nature in romantic, platonic, and sexual relationships around them, which can cause direct harm to the community. However, we also have to understand the historical roots of abuse and manipulation of AFAB people, and how most AFAB people are constantly at risk of violence from men. When an AFAB person is pregnant, the most likely way for them to die is murder by a man. 1 in 6 AFAB people have been sexually assaulted; all AFAB people know someone whose been sexually assaulted.  While these often only mention the extremes, all forms of violence, manipulation, abuse, and assault, are never okay; and we should do everything in our power to not let these systems continue to hold power and take hold of over lives. When people are able to manipulate the systems of which a person must live within, there will always be a lack of consent. Even when we believe we are taking the time to care about autonomy, we need to check in with the people around us to see what we can be doing better. Furthermore, when it is safe, we should do what we can to check in with the safe people around us when we are experiencing potentially abusive behaviors from any person. We have seen the extremes of these ideals throughout the darkest times in our human history, however these hateful and abusive ideals still run strong today. Among the many reasons people should take more time getting to know one another and learning the respect that people are willing to have for one another. 

Sexual Education is a vital part of growing up, but not having the information can be dangerous and threatening to their ability to consent and stop unwanted or dangerous behavior from others. 

We want to end this with the important statement: When you want to help vulnerable people, and when you want to help people be vulnerable, those environments will always attract predators. Predators are always actively looking for the types of groups and people that will allow them to flourish. It is important that when we do any work, from education on health to activism in the streets, we have to be eyes wide open for predatory behavior /nature in our peers. When handling that predatory behavior we have to be willing to let people respond to being told they are reproducing predatory behaviors or social constructs that cause harm. We must be able to call out these systems that oppress us by being predatory in our communities.

Our entire lives are directed by where we have trust and whom has trust in us. Trust is difficult, because in many ways we lose and gain trust all the time. It's something we learn as we go. We will all lose trust in others, and likely someone will lose trust in us. However, its the consistency of trustworthiness that allows us to be trusted or trust others. If you do something that breaks someone's trust, then stay your distance until they can begin to trust you again. An apology is always going to be the best way to go, but please be mindful of how you discuss It's important to make sure that as you grow in relationships with other people, that you discuss trust and what it means in your relationship specifically. 

Trust between parents and children will be different at every stage in life, but you want to make sure that you know when safety and necessity overlooks the misdoings you are participating in. If you are at a party and not at the friend's house you said you would be- Does someone else you trust know you are there? Does a sibling know where you are? Could your parents find you if you didn't come home? If not, how are you going to take precautions at the party to know at what point you may need ot come clean with your parents to get a safe ride home, or if you feel effects of drugs you weren't expecting. Where a lot of parents may be upset about the lie of where you are, they will trust you more that you made the right decision to call and get help than allow yourself to be in harms way. This seems super backwards, but driving accidents, drug overdoses, and gun violence make up for a large number of teenage deaths; so it's important for all of us to take precautions when in a place where we may be less aware of these things as they happen.

Trust in a relationship, should be based off of the building of trustful actions. You can't build trust overnight, it takes months, and years to prove that you are a trustful source of friendship, love, romantic love, etc. You have to make the tough decision of knowing when it is and is not appropriate to trust others, often times we choose with our hearts, which can both lead us in the right and wrong direction. Trust your intuition, but also take into account the commonalities of opinions from people around you. Asking the people who see you from the outside view about your situation can often give you a raw and sometimes rough look at your relationships or life. This of course does NOT mean that any one person should tell you what to do in a relationship, but comparing multiple answers will be most likely to give you something to think about. If you think you are in a manipulative or abusive relationship there are always ways to safely discuss these tendencies with your partner if you feel comfortable, or if you need to exit the relationship even when its extremely tough.