17: Intrinsic Value - Level Two

Welcome to Six Minute Sex Ed, the podcast that helps families talk about sex and relationships. My name’s Kim Cavill. I’m a sex education teacher and I’m so glad you’re back! For more info about Kim, check out her website //www.teaandintimacy.com/ This episode is LEVEL TWO and we’re going to talk about intrinsic value Content warning: brief discussions of childhood sexual abuse and trauma This week, on Instagram, Kim asked listeners to suggest episode topics and the suggestions were great. One, in particular, struck her: the suggestion was to do an episode about our worth not being dictated or connected with our decisions to have or not have sex, or to have or not have romantic relationships at all. That's what we’re going to talk about today: intrinsic value. Kim believes every being is intrinsically valuable, meaning no being has to justify it’s value beyond its existence: that our worth is in-born, not bestowed on us by others, or defined by what we do or don't do. Kim talks about her experience with realizing her intrinsic value independent of her sexual decisions. Many of us receive opposite cultural messages: that our bodies only have value if they meet certain standards of beauty, or that we’re only worth what we can produce at our jobs or in school, or that we’re only worthwhile romantic partners if we have certain kinds of sex. Kim rejects those ideas and argues, instead, that we’re all intrinsically valuable regardless of what we look like, what we produce, or whether we engage in sex. If you'd like to read more of Kim's writing about her experience as a survivor, you can do that here: //www.teaandintimacy.com/single-post/2016/10/11/The-silence-around-sexual-assault If you're a survivor, or you know a survivor, and you need resources, call RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE or their website: //www.rainn.org/ Conversation starters: 1. Tell someone three things you LOVE about yourself. 2. List three things you do that make you feel worthy; things you don't do for reward, compensation, obligation, or to impress others. Thanks so much for listening today! Don't forget to rate and review the podcast and sign up on Patreon for access to bonus materials: //www.patreon.com/sexpositiveparent See you back next week.