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 personal ability to talk/hold conversation for our community members to hold them accountable, is what creates a healthier and safer space in our community. It's imperative that we take time and space to really have a conversation that can centers both people's needs, while also being concise and aware of time and energy. There are so many reasons why conversations can become difficult, but ignoring them long-term is not always helpful. We understand that sometimes ending a relationship is the only safe or reasonable way to go about things, it is in those scenarios that we hope people take extra care of their safety. Sometimes we get a feeling that a relationship is unwell or going sour, often talking to the other person and asking questions can help you decide if you still feel that way. It's important that we take our feelings seriously, but also be aware of our impact on other people when we have these conversations. 

No one can tell you exactly what the best way to handle these conversations for you, but you deserve to have safe and healthy confrontation, responsibility and accountability from the people in your life. We all need the peace and quiet of our own thoughts to come into a conversation from a good point of view. However sometimes people have done us wrong in ways that really hurt us, and we also have to hold space for ourselves to feel that hurt. To process our emotions and come to a conversation, does not mean we do so with out the emotions we processed through. While we don't think that abusive behavior is helpful, there are many ways in which harsh feelings and harmful behaviors can be expressed and called out at the same time. While people can try their bests to ignore how they feel when talking about something, we should not encourage that kind of relationship. People should be in relationships where they feel comfortable to feel how they may due to your actions. True trust, respect, and loyalty, are what provide people with the ability to feel safe enough to communicate these types of issues.