This could make people uncomfortable. It could make people upset. It could cause people to look at me differently or change their opinion of me. I'm okay with that.

I’ve had sex before. I don’t go around just telling people this information at random. However, when I’m with my friends, we talk about sex. We are extremely open about sex. We talk about past, current, and future experiences. No matter what it is, I know I can be open about it with my friends. Not everybody is like that. Not everybody wants to hear or talk about sex. This is okay.

What’s not okay though, is looking down on people who do. Sex is not a bad thing. Everyone has their own personal opinions and rules about sex. We all have the right to have those different opinions. Sex itself isn’t bad and neither are the people having sex. It’s a natural thing. A person’s sex life is their own, whatever that life may contain, it’s still that person’s business and no one else’s. If they share details, that’s up to them.

Calling body parts by their actual name is not bad. If you want to call a vagina a cookie, whoo-ha, or whatever else you can think of, that’s fine. Just don’t let it be because the word vagina is frowned upon or makes people uncomfortable. It’s true that it does those things, but it really shouldn’t because it’s not a big deal. I’m totally cool with doing it because it’s funny. Some names are pretty great, but we shouldn’t be forced to call it other names is all I’m saying.

I’m so tired of being judged or getting looks because I’m open about sex. Whether it be a simple joke or not. Guys are expected to be vulgar and open about sex. Women are expected to be quiet and nonsexual. There are so many things wrong with that, but the fact that we get looked down upon for being open is ridiculous. Whatever we say out in the open can be found online, so why can’t I say it out loud?

I mean seriously, why is sex supposed be left in the dark? As a teenager, I was weirded out and ashamed of buying condoms. I was being safe and responsible, but I was taught to be that way by society. If we are going to be that way, why are these things sold at general public places like Walmart and drugstores? There shouldn’t be this stigma attached to sex. Shame shouldn’t follow sex around like a shadow. Religious and conservative beliefs are one’s prerogative, but they aren’t everyone’s beliefs so we should stop forcing them.

I should be able to talk to my friend about sex over some coffee and not worry about the judgement at another table. And it’s not just older generations, I’ve gotten looks from people my own age. The stigma has carried through the generations, but it’s not a tradition that should continue. I definitely won’t be perpetuating it to my future children.