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Love Your Vulva!

Just like every other part of the body, vulvas are unique! Still, some of us worry about being different because we don't see enough diversity around us.

That's why we've teamed up with Canesten to create Love Your Vulva - an interactive online platform designed to empower and educate young people to get to know and love their bodies.

Show your vulva some love!

Brook on Instagram

We need more diversity in porn!⁠ ⁠ Have you ev

We need more diversity in porn!⁠
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Have you ever noticed how in a lot of porn it is rare to see bodies with pubic hair? Pubic hair is something that we need to normalise, not just in porn, but in other forms of media too. Of course, it’s a choice as to whether or not you want to keep your pubes or rid of them, but no one should ever feel like they’ve been pressured into looking a certain way. ⁠
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All bodies are beautiful! Comparing our bodies to the bodies we see in porn can lead to feelings of shame and inadequacy. Penises in porn are significantly larger than the average erect penis, and similarly, vulvas shown in a lot of porn are all uniform. In reality, we know that genitals come in an array of beautiful shapes and sizes - just like these amazing illustrations that @nice_view23 has created especially for us! ⁠
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Head to our website for much more information, advice and support about body image.⁠

Thank you to Abby for sharing her experience of bo

Thank you to Abby for sharing her experience of body dysmorphia, puberty, and always feeling like the odd-one-out while growing up. You can read her full story at the link in our bio.⁠
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"For me, BDD means that my perception of myself is warped – so I don’t see myself how other people see me. My self-image changes daily, from selfies I take, group photos I see myself in, or just looking at myself in a mirror. I find it hard to know what I look like.⁠
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I think this stems from my upbringing in a predominantly white area. I was surrounded by pretty, skinny, blonde, white girls, and that’s all I knew from the age of 5. I was so different from them in terms of my skin, my weight, my hair. It didn’t make sense and I grew up thinking that I wasn’t normal."⁠
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📷 @_e_sky

Today is STIQ Day, a day to raise awareness of sex

Today is STIQ Day, a day to raise awareness of sexual health and encourage STI testing. ⁠
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It's important to remember that not all STIs have symptoms, and leaving things untreated can lead to more serious health problems. So if you think you need access to sexual health services, don't delay!⁠
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And even though we are in lockdown, you can still get tested! We are still here and able to support your sexual health and wellbeing needs. Visit our website (link in bio) for information and advice on how to get tested in the lockdown.⁠
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#STIQDay

In this house, we celebrate ALL bodies. Thanks to

In this house, we celebrate ALL bodies. Thanks to @pink_bits for the wonderful illustration.

Social media can be a powerful place to form beaut

Social media can be a powerful place to form beautiful communities. It allows us to connect with people, both who we know IRL or who we've met online. It can teach us new things and keep us accountable.

But social media also brings risks. It can be consuming. Instagram's focus on aesthetics can lead us to focus too heavily on what we look like online, and how we compare to those we see on the platform.

It's really important to know that most people are only presenting the best version of themselves online. They are curating an external image, and have control over what is visible to others. Somebody's Instagram feed is not a full representation of their daily life.

If you find that social media is having a negative impact on your body image, remember what you're seeing is usually edited, filtered or only achieved after taking lots of different shots from carefully crafted angles! Remember you can choose who to follow. You can remove accounts that make you feel bad about yourself or promote unhealthy diets or exercise routines. Curate your community so that social media becomes a place of positivity and encouragement. And if you need it, know you can always take time off.

There's no such thing as a 'normal' penis! Lots of

There's no such thing as a 'normal' penis! Lots of people feel concerned about the size/shape/colour of their penis but the truth is that we are all different! What's normal is unique to everyone.⁠
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🌟 Size 🌟 ⁠
Many people worry about the size of their penis, and feel self-conscious that it’s perhaps too small. However this is often due to the fact that people exaggerate or over-estimate the average size of a penis.⁠
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During puberty, usually between the ages of 11-18 the penis and testicles will grow, however they don’t stop growing completely until around 21 years old. In general, the average adult penis size is usually about 13-18cm (5 to 7 inches) when erect. When flaccid (soft) the length of a penis can vary depending on factors such as temperature. ⁠
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🌟 Shape🌟 ⁠
Penises can be lots of different shapes. Some will be the same width from base to tip, whereas other may be wider at some points and narrower at others.⁠
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When erect, penises can curve up, down, left or right. There is nothing unusual about having a curved penis. ⁠
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🌟 Colour🌟 ⁠
Penises can be lots of different colours, and this colour may not be consistent. The colour of your penis may change when it is erect, due to increased blood flow. ⁠
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However, there can be health-related reasons for discolouration of the penis, such as STIs or a skin condition. Most health-related discolouration is benign or temporary, but it is still worth consulting your GP to make sure it isn’t anything serious.⁠
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You can find out more about looking after your penis at the link in our bio 🔗⁠
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Artwork by @weronika_does_life @__seasaw.studio__

Thank you to the incredible @marianatrenchdrag for

Thank you to the incredible @marianatrenchdrag for sharing these words about their body. We hope they help others to find power and strength in their own brilliance.

"My body was never something that the world had taught me to be proud of. It was always too big, too round, too soft, too….too fat. I don’t believe fat is a bad word, as it’s a perfectly adequate description of what I am. I am fat. I’m also beautiful, powerful and incredibly proud of my body. There have been times, and probably will be times in the future, when I wished I could have another body - a body that was less ‘hated’.

I’m a drag queen, who performs burlesque as well and if you had told 16 year old me that I would be confident enough to perform for people in nothing but my a pair of knickers and some rhinestoned nipple pasties, I would have laughed in your face. Yet, here I am. I’m not sure what came first, the confidence to perform or the performances that gave me the confidence, but I do know that I have grown bolder and prouder of my body every single day. I am a six foot tall, plus size, queer person of colour and like it or not, I am proud of my body."

📷 @charleywilliamsphoto

As we enter another lockdown, we want to reassure

As we enter another lockdown, we want to reassure you that you won’t be locked out from our services. We are still open and will continue to work tirelessly to support your sexual health and wellbeing needs.⁠
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If you need to access sexual health services, don’t delay!⁠
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Visit our website (link in bio) for info on how to look after yourself and find your nearest service.

Follow @Brook_Sexpositive

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