WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR BODY | Elizabeth Adewale

Summary

Elizabeth Adewale, a holistic sex educator with a public-health background, discusses sexual-health education, anatomy, pleasure, communication, and safer sex. A central message is that people benefit from accurate, age-appropriate information rather than relying on silence, myths, or pornography.

Key strategies and takeaways

• Talk openly and learn accurate basics. Sex education can help people understand their bodies, prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and address pain or dissatisfaction. It should include consent, boundaries, body-part names, and safe versus unsafe touch—not just sexual activity.
• Explore your body and communicate. Adewale encourages people to learn what feels comfortable and pleasurable, then tell partners what works, what does not, and what they want to try. She says orgasm can be pleasurable but is not required for sex to be satisfying.
• Think beyond penetration. Sex can involve a range of physical activities, and pleasure and satisfaction vary from person to person. Adewale says partners should not treat porn as a guide to real-life sex or assume that size, duration, or a particular technique guarantees pleasure.
• Prioritize hygiene and STI awareness.
  • Wash hands before touching a partner’s genitals, and keep nails trimmed.
  • For oral sex, Adewale advises rinsing or using mouthwash rather than brushing immediately beforehand, because brushing may cause small cuts.
  • Oral sex can transmit infections, so protection and STI awareness matter.
  • Period sex is a personal choice. Adewale says menstrual blood is not inherently dirty, but blood can increase infection-transmission risk if a partner has an infection.
• Use condoms correctly. Check the expiry date, open the wrapper by hand, make sure the condom is right-side out, pinch the tip, and roll it down over an erect penis before genital contact. After ejaculation, withdraw carefully, remove the condom, and dispose of it in the bin—not the toilet.
• Consider lubricant when useful. Using lubricant does not necessarily mean anything is wrong with someone’s body. It can reduce friction and discomfort. Persistent dryness or pain should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
• Seek appropriate screening and care. Adewale recommends STI testing and discusses cervical screening and HPV vaccination. She also suggests not ignoring persistent sexual-health changes, such as pain, dryness, or erection difficulties. Screening schedules and recommendations vary, so check current guidance with a clinician.
• Build pelvic-floor awareness. Kegel exercises—gently tightening and releasing the pelvic-floor muscles—are discussed as a way to build muscle control. Adewale cautions against routinely practicing by stopping urine midstream.
• Keep long-term intimacy collaborative. Couples can discuss preferences and try changes such as different settings, role-play, toys, or positions, provided everyone involved is comfortable and consenting. Combining multiple kinds of stimulation works for some people but distracts others.
• Teach children in age-appropriate ways. Start with body-part names, consent, boundaries, and safe-touch guidance, then add more information as children mature. Adewale argues that young people should hear reliable information from trusted adults rather than having to learn from peers or pornography.
• Challenge common myths. The discussion disputes claims that a woman’s vagina becomes “loose” from sex, that bleeding proves virginity, that a larger penis guarantees better sex, or that jumping after sex prevents pregnancy. It also describes virginity as a socially defined concept rather than something that can be reliably established by physical signs.

Medical context

Several health claims and numeric recommendations in the conversation are presented by the guest without named studies or detailed sourcing. Treat them as discussion points, not personalized medical advice. Confirm health concerns and screening schedules with a qualified clinician.

Presenters and sources

• Elizabeth Adewale — guest and sex educator.
• The Honest Bunch Podcast hosts/panel — individual host names are not clearly identified in the subtitles.
• Sources cited in the conversation — no specific research papers or publications are named.