We Deserve a Better Solution for Sexual Wellness.
I‘m often impressed — and frustrated — by how powerful societal pressures can be. Taboos are potent things. They compel us to secrecy and they leave is in the dark. Sex, despite being engrained in all of our lives, is a particularly stubborn example. It affects our happiness, our physical and emotional health, and our relationships with others. Yet the topic remains unapproachable. Even with close friends, there are tensions that leave us disinclined to share or ask questions.
Our ability to talk about sex has improved over the last half-century or so. We now have a set of tools to talk about the simpler, more palatable aspects of sexuality. This sort of talk earns nods of approval and invites casual discussions that indicate shared experience. The countless other aspects of sex, meanwhile, feel unacknowledged. We tend to label them — often subconsciously — as indecent, embarrassing, or “yucky”.
We deserve a better set of tools to talk about they ways in which sex impacts our lives. We deserve them because stigmas leave us vulnerable to isolation and to potentially harmful misconceptions. How can a person decide that their relationship is unhealthy, or even abusive, when they don’t understand what to look out for? How can somebody explore their sexuality if they don’t know how to do so safely? How can we expect people to get tested regularly when the topic of STIs is plagued by fear and shame?
The problem is expansive, but I believe we are capable of giving everybody the courage and the resources they need to lead healthy, safe, and enjoyable sex lives. Ash, a sexual health and wellness startup, is part of that vision. Its goal is simple: to make sex a more positive part of our lives.
Last Fall, I had the chance to sit in on an informal discussion organized by David and Kyle, Ash’s two cofounders. Sitting back with a glass of the wine they had provided and a (small) handful of Hershey’s kisses, I immediately absorbed their enthusiasm for the issue. Through personal stories and survey results, they illustrated the magnitude of the barriers we face. I realized that giving people the power and autonomy to address their sexual health needs was an attainable goal.
My academic goal as a Masters student at Cornell Tech has been to learn how to be as impactful a software builder as possible. I see Ash as a group of people that share that goal. We are all passionate about Ash’s mission and the positive change it can facilitate. More tangibly, we have the collective talents necessary to make Ash’s mission a reality.
Our first goal is to address STI testing. Regular STI testing is a vital habit to build, not only for the sake of our own health, but for that of our partners as well. For many of us, however, it can be an intimidating procedure. I personally feel nervous about the judgements or assumptions a healthcare provider might make of me when I ask to be tested. In the past, it has deterred me from testing as regularly as I would like. There are dozens of reasons why a person may feel even more apprehensive. Asking for an STI test may beg unwanted questions about one’s gender identity, sexuality, or history. We may also place our privacy in jeopardy when asking for a test too.
We’re working on a solution that would remove those barriers. By letting people order testing kits to their homes, we’re inviting them to make testing an easy, regular part of their lives. I’m particularly excited to start by rethinking STI testing simply because it benefits are so personally relevant. Knowing that social attitudes towards STIs are defined by shame, I think this product is also a fantastic way to impact the way we collectively perceive sex.
I view the intersection between social issues and health as a deeply important way to affect broad change. That intersection tends to reflect our cultural values as well as the inequalities that exist between communities. Ash, to me, is a positive force in both domains.
