Talkin' about a revolution

Orgasms, consent, self-pleasure, intimacy, creativity, even sex toys. India is opening up to sexual wellness online. See how three experts are driving the trend

- Urvee Modwel

A SHOCKING NUMBER OF WOMEN GO THROUGH ADULTHOOD, MAYBE EVEN THOUGH A RELATIONSHIP, WITHOUT HAVING ORGASMED EVER

Right now, somewhere in India, a bride is spending her first night with her husband, aghast and uncomfortable, in a decked-out hotel room, because the groom has no idea about woman's pleasure; all he knows is what's he's seen in porn videos.

Elsewhere, a well-educated woman, in a big city, is having unprotected sex because "buying a condom is the man's job, na?". And a shocking number of women (a friend, colleague, family member, classmate) are going through adulthood, possibly even though a relationship, without having orgasmed once.

Blame it all on: Prudish parents, no sex ed in school, terrible examples from TV and the movies, even more misinformation on social media. It's left generations of adult men and women ill-informed about sexual health, contraception and reproductive rights.

Luckily, things seem to be changing, especially on social media. Educators are putting up Reels about climaxing, offering guides to masturbation and birth control, and backing products designed to aid pleasure without guilt. A report published by Allied Market Research in 2022 says the Indian sexual wellness market generated $1.15 billion in 2020 and was expected to reach $2.09 billion by 2030.

Leeza Mangaldas, Simran Balar Jain and Anushka Gupta open up about fighting the good fight, unmindful of the trolls, the mansplaining uncles and the grown-ups still giggling in the back.

Leeza Mangaldas

Sexuality educator and author

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