Awesome Women in Philly: You Are Deserving of Pleasure
Janielle Bryan, MPH, is a Public Health professional and human sexuality educator. Throughout her career, she has attempted to combat Philadelphia’s health disparities using public health’s core areas. This includes work in clinical research, health education, community health, and disease prevention. She has developed and taught various programs in schools, shelters, non-profit organizations, and corporate settings. Janielle believes that a person’s socioeconomic status should not be the deciding factor on the quality of life available to them.
You have a master’s in Public Health; what is Public Health and why is it important?
I’ll give you the CDC’s definition which is, the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. I know that sounds very broad and it is! Which is just the of the many reasons why I love this field. It encompasses areas such as research, public policy, chronic health, mental health, disaster response, and so much more. With such a wide range of positions, public health touches every aspect of human life. You can’t go through the day without being impacted by something public health-related.
During this crisis, the general public is learning about public health, its importance, and gaining a small insight on how it directly affects them. I believe that public health and medicine are two sides of the same coin. One couldn’t work efficiently without the other one.
How did you become passionate about sexual and reproductive health education?
My first job, after getting my undergrad degree, was working as a research assistant for NYU. We were looking at the rates of unplanned pregnancies and STDs/STIs here in Philadelphia. I spent hours pouring over the data, analyzing trends, and synthesizing reports for others to read. After doing this for a few months I started to do my own research. I could see what the outcome was, but what were the reasons behind the numbers. Why weren’t rates trending down and how did they get that high to begin with? After speaking with people working in reproductive health in Philadelphia I heard various answers. Although, one answer they all mentioned was the lack of education. I took a part-time position teaching sexuality education to teens to see if I would like it. I haven’t looked back since!
I’m passionate about challenging sex-negativity, especially during a person’s formative years. Better community health begins with healthy young people. Despite our culture being sex-obsessed, there’s still a stigma surrounding sexuality. This stigma breeds a sense of shame and mystery that’s detrimental to everyone in our community. By normalizing the subject we can educate and foster a healthy mindset in the younger generation. As someone who is still deconstructing what I’ve learned and internalized about sex, I don’t want others to go through this process.
If someone was interested in getting into a Public Health career, what should they know beforehand?
It’s not as stuffy and boring as it’s portrayed in the media. My friends in public health have some of the most unique and fulfilling careers I know. I may be a little biased, but do some research and you’ll see.
If you have a passion for helping people there’s a place in public health for you. If you don’t want a boring desk job, there’s a position for you. If you love boring desk jobs, there’s a position for you too. I have had a few jobs in various disciplines before I found my lane in this field. With so many avenues to pursue the possibilities feel endless. Also, there’s room for professional growth.
What are your sexual health pop-ups in Philly like? What do people learn?
After realizing the lack of comprehensive sexual education in the US, I wanted to make something that was educational, but still entertaining to attend. The purpose of these events are for adults to explore the complex subject of sexuality through shame-free, pleasure-centered conversations. The ultimate goal is to help participants create a healthier relationship with themselves.
Through the exchange of information and stories, we can begin to reclaim our narrative. The negative messages we internalize about sex throughout our lives can begin to take a toll. Feelings such as shame, anxiety, and negativity keep people — especially those in marginalized groups — down in a wide-reaching way. Over time these negative narratives become normalized and we unconsciously, or consciously, perpetuate the same rhetoric to future generations.
My events have a Q & A portion with local experts (ie, therapist, educators, sex workers, etc), interactive activities, group discussions and a marketplace with vendors. Proceeds from each event are donated to local organizations helping POC, womxn/femmes, or gender non-conforming people in Philadelphia.
You’ve said that pleasure is a basic human right. Can you talk a little about what you mean by that?
We’ve bought into the capitalist idea that pleasure is something to be earned. This detrimental mentality that indulging in joy is a distraction to what’s really important. That after, and only after, filling a quota are we allowed to experience pleasure as a reward. For example, you work non-stop all year in order to earn those two weeks of vacation. This bartering mindset about happiness has seeped into how we view pleasure. You are deserving of pleasure. That’s it — that’s the entire sentence! If we stop operating from a place of scarcity, but from a place of abundance there’s power in that.
I pride myself on being a pleasure centered sex educator. Many of us are having sex because we want to experience pleasure. It makes sense to start the conversation there! I start with the motivation and build off of that. If you want to have an inclusive, well-rounded conversation about sex you need to include its driving factor. If I know the reason behind someone’s action I’ll be better equipped to educate them.
What media are you loving right now?
I finally read An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. It came out in 2018, but better late than never. The story is emotional, gripping, and deeply personal. I enjoy reading stories with complex characters that don’t have a clear protagonist and antagonist. Depending on who you ask we are all both. I enjoy reading about characters who are just as multi-dimensional as I am.
The podcast Thirst Aid Kit by Slate always makes me laugh. Hearing two black women openly talk about their sexual desire for men is satisfying. It takes me back to high school days when my girlfriends and I would talk about our celeb crushes. It’s part pop culture, part unabashed thirst. Also, the fact they pick a racially diverse range of celebs is refreshing.
Anything else we should know/you’d like us to talk about?
I challenge everyone to lean into what makes you feel good! I’m talking about sex, but eating candy makes me feel good too. By no means is pleasure a monolith. Despite everything you’ve been told, you deserve to experience all the pleasure life has to offer. Start by making a conscious effort to bring small pleasurable acts into your daily life.
Awesome Women in Philly is a semi-weekly Q&A series by She Steps Up, a Philadelphia, PA-based group aimed at empowering women, trans, and non-binary folks professionally and personally. Check out our website for events.
