#61: Public Service Announcement
Starting to draw this season of 'She Dares To Say' to a close
This content is not behind a paywall, but since it takes time to create and upload each piece, do please consider becoming a paid subscriber of ‘She Dares to Say’ which gets you subscriber-only posts each month, which is either billed monthly at £3.79 or annually at £34.99.
If you would prefer to make a one-off donation, feel free to send a contribution via PayPal.
You can also show your enjoyment without spending £££, by liking, commenting, restacking via Notes or just generally sharing 😃
[Image description: Text ‘Public Service Announcement !!!’ on a lilac background]
Public Service Announcement
Hello and welcome to new subscribers! ‘She Dares To Say’ is a newsletter by me, Almaz Ohene, a multi-disciplinary writer and creative working across sexuality education, journalism and branding.
Much of my work centres marginalised voices, as I’m committed to taking steps to help dismantle all forms of systemic oppression.
‘She Dares To Say’ is now wrapping up its third season, which began in October 2023. The rotating schedule has included the following content strands:
‘Pleasure Principles with Almaz Ohene’ column for Female Health & Fertility magazine
My column appears in the digital magazine each issue (now released quarterly) and I also publish it in full via ‘She Dares To Say’.
‘Authenticity Arena’ sexuality survey interviews
Where I gently encourage members of the public to open up about their views and personal experiences of sex. Interviews are formatted as verbatim text transcripts and I also include the audio recordings (with any identifying personal information bleeped out). Written answers that interviewees gave in response to my sexuality survey are also published in paywalled ‘POSTSCRIPT’ posts. To gain access to these posts upgrade to paid.
‘Considering My Crushes’ essays
Where I write about my celebrity/public eye/fictional crushes along with imagery. A couple of these essays are partially paywalled. To read essays in full, upgrade to paid. And, some of these posts are guest essays by writers in my community.
‘What The Notches Said’ interviews
Where I reach out to various people from my sexual past and ask them to answer quick-fire questions about where they were at in life when we dated/hooked-up and how their views/situation have changed in the intervening years. Some extra text and audio extracts from the especially entertaining parts of the conversation are also published in paywalled ‘POSTSCRIPT’ posts. To gain access to these posts upgrade to paid.
This post will round up all of my columns for Female Health and Fertility magazine.
[Image description: promo banner for Female Health & Fertility magazine showing many different front covers and text ‘A healthy vagina is a happy vagina FEMALE health & fertility Seeking support for your reproductive and intimate health? SIGN UP NOW femalehealthandfertility.com’]
Previous columns:
Menstruation often comes with a range of emotions and physical sensations, but it doesn’t have to be a barrier to your sex life. In fact, many find that it can help partners tap into a more primal side of life closer, giving them an opportunity to embrace the natural aspects of the body and deepen their connection. Tips for having comfortable and satisfying intimate moments during menstruation.
Vaginismus is a condition characterised by involuntary muscle spasms in the pelvic floor muscles. IT can make vaginal penetration painful or impossible. However, it doesn’t mean that your sex life can’t be pleasurable. Tips to help keep sex enjoyable and intimate even when dealing with vaginismus:
For many people the journey toward conception can, unfortunately, often turn intimacy and sexual connection into something that’s become daunting, overshadowed by the weight of expectations. The narrative surrounding trying to conceive often revolves around ovulation cycles, fertility charts, and clinical procedures, reducing the act of intimacy to a tick-box exercise. And if you’ve been through previous fertility disappointments, things might feel quite emotionally loaded or tough. Practical tips for keeping sex pleasurable while trying to conceive.
Dating and embarking on a new sexual journey can be exhilarating and nerve-wracking. However, when you’re dealing with a gynaecological condition that affects your body image and self-love, it can add an extra layer of complexity to these experiences. Navigating sex and dating with such conditions requires a unique blend of self-acceptance, communication, and empathy.
When you have an orgasm your body releases endorphins, which are hormones that block pain and make you feel good. This can be beneficial for anyone experiencing depression and/or anxiety due to reproductive health issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis or hormone imbalances.
Skin-to-skin contact is vital not only for mental and emotional health but physical health, too. But partners can often forget that this includes all of the non-sexual ways we can touch each other as well. And the ability to be able to foster intimacy without sex is an often-overlooked part of relationship building.
[Image description: Text ‘PRODUCED BY’]
I’m Almaz Ohene, a Creative Copywriter, Freelance Journalist and Accidental Sexpert.
[Image description: Text: “Ms A, Model Commercial, Lifestyle, Editorial, Height: 174cm / 5’ 8.5” UK clothing size: 12 Bust: 91cm / 36” Bra size: 32D Waist: 77cm / 30” Hips: 103cm / 40” Inside leg: 74cm / 29” (to ankle) 83cm / 33” (to floor) Shoe size: 7 / 40 Hair colour: Black, afro-textured / braids Eye colour: Brown]
This content is not behind a paywall, but since it takes time to create and upload each piece, do please consider becoming a paid subscriber of ‘She Dares to Say’ to support this project. Paid subscribers get additional subscriber-only posts each month and continuous access to the full archive. Paid subscriptions are either billed monthly at £3.79 or annually at £34.99.
If you would prefer to make a one-off donation, feel free to send a contribution via PayPal.
You can also show your enjoyment without spending £££, by liking, commenting, restacking via Notes or just generally sharing 😃