(Photo via Teen Vogue.)
Teen Vogue’s “Anal Sex: What You Need to Know” guide is facing plenty of backlash but one editor is standing up for the magazine’s decision to include the informative piece.
The guide, written by sex expert Gigi Engel, covers all the bases of anal sex for those with prostates and without. The overall goal is for everyone to be educated on their sexual health.
“When it comes to your body, it’s important that you have the facts. Being in the dark is not doing your sexual health or self-understanding any favors,” Engel writes.
“It’s important that we talk about all kinds of sex because not everyone is having, or wants to have, ‘penis in the vagina’ sex. If you do have ‘penis in the vagina’ sex and are curious about something else, or are finding that that type of sex is not for you and you’d just like to explore other options, it’s helpful to know the facts,” Engel continues.
The article also acknowledges that anal sex may not be for everyone.
“If you’re not comfortable reading about anal sex, that’s perfectly OK, too. We have plenty of other articles around a variety of issues and wellness,” the article reads.
The guide has angered some who feel it is encouraging anal sex. One mother, known as The Activist Mommy, even posted a video on Facebook of herself burning the magazine. She condemns the magazine for including articles on how to masturbate, gender fluidity and anal sex for its target 11-17 year old audience.
Teen Vogue Digital Editorial Director Phillip Picardi took to Twitter to blast those criticizing the magazine’s sexual health article and to explain from a personal view why articles like this are important for teens to read.
If it’s ok with you guys, I’m gonna TALK ABOUT ANAL SEX FOR A WEE LIL THREAD.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
We published a 411 on Anal Sex story on @TeenVogue as a continued part of our sex education coverage.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
I monitor the webmaster email and have been inundated with hate mail saying we promote sodomy and want teens to get AIDS.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
It’s funny, because I went to Catholic high school and had 0 sex education. I also had a teacher tell me gay sex was a sin in God’s eyes.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
Fast forward to frosh year of NYU, me crying at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, bc I’d just slept w someone who I found out was HIV+.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
The kind folks at Callen-Lorde taught me about HIV/AIDS, what it is, and how it’s contracted. They also told me to get tested regularly.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
They also explained the concept of HIV stigma, and that HIV and AIDS are two different things. And that HIV is not a death sentence.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
Then they taught me the importance of safer sex, and what I needed to know in particular as a gay man.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
I left a 40-minute doctor’s appointment with more life-saving information than I ever received in all my years of private school education.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
You see, my Catholic school was guilty of endangering all of us by sheer omission of FACTS. EDUCATION doesn’t equal ENCOURAGEMENT.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
Multiple studies have shown abstinence-only sex-ed is linked to higher rates of STIs and teen pregnancies.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
TBH, it is IRRESPONSIBLE. How can you possibly expect teenagers to practice safe sex if they don’t know what’s at risk?
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
How can you expect young women to not get pregnant without access to reproductive health care?
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
The backlash to this article is rooted in homophobia. It’s also laced in arcane delusion about what it means to be a young person today.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
If I had today’s @TeenVogue and @VeraPapisova when I was a teen, I would have been so much safer and better off.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
Instead, I made mistakes that consisted of quite a few doctor’s appointments! But I’m ok!!
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
But until queer sex, love, and families are included in education, we’re doing a dangerous and potentially lethal disservice…
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
to a growing population. Gen Z will be our queerest and most fearless generation yet.
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
In conclusion, here’s my only reply I’ll be giving to any of the messages. 🌈 pic.twitter.com/KiFjVqLlH3
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) July 14, 2017
