Despite being the 21st century, sexual health is still taboo. From masturbation to menopause, the subject is hushed in classrooms and distorted in the media. So how are people supposed to learn about themselves if the information barely exists? That’s where Zoe Mendelson and Maria Conejo come in. This creative duo is setting the facts straight and shedding light on our bodies with their platform Pussypedia.
As a journalist, Mendelson has always had a knack for digging up the truth. But after combing through the internet to refute a misconception about the female orgasm, she came back empty-handed and outraged. The only resources she could find were complex medical journals or inadequate websites. Without access to reliable information, many people were unknowingly damaging or neglecting their sexual health. Partnering with visual artist Conejo, the pair developed a website that brings sexuality and wellbeing to the forefront. “When a person doesn’t have knowledge of their own body, they lack power to control what happens to it,” Conejo says.
Available in English and Spanish, the platform is now a trusted source for queries and concerns about the body. “Pussypedia is an encyclopedia inclusive of gender, organs, and disabilities,” Conejo says. Over 200 volunteers from three different continents contribute to the website, helping create fact-based articles and graphics that are educational and easy to understand. The free encyclopedia, which has been adapted into a book, addresses a wide range of topics from male birth control and trans health to the history of reproductive rights. “The response we’ve gotten to the site has been overwhelmingly positive,” Mendelson says. Ensuring that others can unashamedly learn about themselves, Mendelson and Conejo are giving them power back over their bodies and lives.
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