Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes as our country is experiencing a national reckoning with sexual violence. Many people are finding catharsis and empowerment through sharing their experiences with sexual harassment and assault, more institutions are holding abusers accountable, and space is being created for authentic conversations about consent.
This month, Planned Parenthood Federation of America is partnering with several of the largest dating apps (OkCupid, Bumble, Grindr, Hornet) to help them build a culture of consent on their platforms.
Co-branded consent messaging will appear on each of their channels throughout April. Each app will push out social media messaging, and some apps are developing additional content to reach their millions of daily users.
Planned Parenthood defines consent as:
- Freely given. Consenting is a choice you make without pressure, manipulation, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Reversible. Anyone can change their mind about what they feel like doing, any time. Even if you’ve done it before, and even if it was your idea in the first place.
- Informed. You can only consent to something if you have all of the information you need. For example, if someone says they’ll use a condom and then they don’t, there isn’t full consent.
- Enthusiastic. When it comes to sex, you should only do what you WANT to do, not things that you feel you’re expected or pressured to do.
- Specific. Saying yes to one thing doesn’t mean you’ve said yes to other things. For example, consenting to going to the bedroom to make out doesn’t mean you’ve consented to have sex.
We’re excited about this dating app collaboration, and grateful that increasing numbers of people are being informed about the importance of consent.
As always, Planned Parenthood is committed to standing with survivors of sexual assault and providing them with vital health care services like emergency contraception, STI testing and treatment, and more.
Read more about Consent here.
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