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Doing It
SEXTING. VIRGINITY. CONSENT. THE BIG O... Sex-positive vlogger Hannah Witton covers it all.
Nobody really has sex all figured out. So Hannah Witton wrote a book full of honest, hilarious (and sometimes awkward) anecdotes, confessions, and revelations. Hannah talks about doing it safely. Doing it joyfully. Doing it when you're ready. Not doing it. Basically, doing it the way you want, when you want (if you want).
Doing It works as an introduction to sex as well as a guidebook for those who are already sexually active, with insight on topics such as healthy relationships, porn, contraception, sex shaming, and more. Approachable and empowering, this is a go-to resource for all things s-e-x.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2017
168 people are currently reading
4029 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Witton
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 453 reviews
April 3, 2017
alright I guess
August 5, 2017
I think this is a GREAT starting point for learning about sex, sexuality, gender etc. especially if you don't/didn't have access to good sex education. I listened to this on audiobook, which Hannah narrated and she did a great job (especially trying to explain diagrams of genitalia)!!
Overall, I really enjoyed it and took something away from it (you can never know everything!). It does stick to surface-level information, but like I said - a great starting point. Would recommend everyone pick it up, even if you already know most of what is in here, there are some really valuable and enjoyable anecdotes and experiences from Hannah herself and her friends from the LGBTQIAP+ community.
I recently started watching Hannah Witton's videos on YouTube, and marathoned her Hormone Diaries series - would also recommend that.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and took something away from it (you can never know everything!). It does stick to surface-level information, but like I said - a great starting point. Would recommend everyone pick it up, even if you already know most of what is in here, there are some really valuable and enjoyable anecdotes and experiences from Hannah herself and her friends from the LGBTQIAP+ community.
I recently started watching Hannah Witton's videos on YouTube, and marathoned her Hormone Diaries series - would also recommend that.
April 6, 2017
I would be lying if I said this book surprised me because the moment I heard that Hannah was writing a book, I was pretty certain it was going to be utterly fantastic and important. I was not disappointed. I honestly thought this was brilliant and would highly recommend it to absolutely anyone.
Hannah’s voice really came through in her writing, which I absolutely loved. It was very much Hannah talking and it was honestly so well written. It had a great balance between being formal enough to feel as though you were learning something and being educated, whilst also being informal enough to feel as though you were chatting with a friend over a coffee. It was very natural, nothing felt forced in any way and at no point throughout the book did it feel as though you were getting opinions imposed on you. There were also various segments throughout the book, written by other people, such as authors or YouTuber’s, who were maybe were in a better position to talk about a specific topic, which were really interesting!
I won’t go into all of the categories Doing It covers, because I don’t want to spoil it and you should totally go out and buy it but some examples of the specific topics that were covered were things like:
• Healthy Relationships – which had a really great breakdown into what a healthy relationship look like, means and needs. It also does an equally great breakdown into what an unhealthy relationship looks like, the signs of one and advice on what to do if you think or a friend might be in one. This also had a section written by Holly Bourne about traits of abusive relationships which are often romanticised in movies, which was really interesting and there were harry potter references which was obviously great.
• Body and Body Image – in which she gave tips for how to gain body confidence but acknowledges that’s there’s not necessarily a quick and or easy fix which I really appreciated. She also aimed it at people of all genders, rather than just women which I thought was great.
• Contraception, the different types, how they work, what they do, which pros and cons.
• Periods
• Consent, rape, sexual abuse, and the laws surrounding it which had a great insight and section written by a criminal barrister.
• STI’s
• Sexting
• Gender, Sexuality and the meanings behind different terms and labels used for various sexualities.
Essentially and thing you could think of under the category of sex and relationships, it was covered and a lot more candidly than I think you might expect.
One thing that I think made this standout as being so fantastic, was just how inclusive it was. Straight and LGBTQA+ relationships were talked about and mentioned in equal amounts and what I thought was great, is that Hannah was very open about the fact that she’s a cis, white, straight woman and there were therefore people better equipped to talk about LGBTQA+ relationships and she handed the book over to those people. So you had representation, writing and experiences from people who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, transgender, polyamorous and you got to hear about their experiences from them personally, rather than from someone who hadn’t shared their experience.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this book is that didn’t feel judgemental in anyway. It was very respectful of other people’s experiences. Whether they were in a relationship or not, a virgin or not, straight or not, at no point did it feel as though Hannah was bashing or shaming anyone for their own experience. Instead she was very uplifting and confidence boosting, reminding the reader that whatever their experience or lack of experience, it was totally okay. Regularly telling them to do what feels right for you, rather than what you think is right or what a person or society might tell you is right.
Doing It is the kind of book I wish I had had growing up and the kind of book I really hope people growing up now, will have a copy of. With that being said, I can honestly say I think no matter who you are or how old you are there is no doubt you will take something away from this book, I think it would be pretty much impossible not to.
Watch my full review of 'Doing It!' here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVzg2...
Hannah’s voice really came through in her writing, which I absolutely loved. It was very much Hannah talking and it was honestly so well written. It had a great balance between being formal enough to feel as though you were learning something and being educated, whilst also being informal enough to feel as though you were chatting with a friend over a coffee. It was very natural, nothing felt forced in any way and at no point throughout the book did it feel as though you were getting opinions imposed on you. There were also various segments throughout the book, written by other people, such as authors or YouTuber’s, who were maybe were in a better position to talk about a specific topic, which were really interesting!
I won’t go into all of the categories Doing It covers, because I don’t want to spoil it and you should totally go out and buy it but some examples of the specific topics that were covered were things like:
• Healthy Relationships – which had a really great breakdown into what a healthy relationship look like, means and needs. It also does an equally great breakdown into what an unhealthy relationship looks like, the signs of one and advice on what to do if you think or a friend might be in one. This also had a section written by Holly Bourne about traits of abusive relationships which are often romanticised in movies, which was really interesting and there were harry potter references which was obviously great.
• Body and Body Image – in which she gave tips for how to gain body confidence but acknowledges that’s there’s not necessarily a quick and or easy fix which I really appreciated. She also aimed it at people of all genders, rather than just women which I thought was great.
• Contraception, the different types, how they work, what they do, which pros and cons.
• Periods
• Consent, rape, sexual abuse, and the laws surrounding it which had a great insight and section written by a criminal barrister.
• STI’s
• Sexting
• Gender, Sexuality and the meanings behind different terms and labels used for various sexualities.
Essentially and thing you could think of under the category of sex and relationships, it was covered and a lot more candidly than I think you might expect.
One thing that I think made this standout as being so fantastic, was just how inclusive it was. Straight and LGBTQA+ relationships were talked about and mentioned in equal amounts and what I thought was great, is that Hannah was very open about the fact that she’s a cis, white, straight woman and there were therefore people better equipped to talk about LGBTQA+ relationships and she handed the book over to those people. So you had representation, writing and experiences from people who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, transgender, polyamorous and you got to hear about their experiences from them personally, rather than from someone who hadn’t shared their experience.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this book is that didn’t feel judgemental in anyway. It was very respectful of other people’s experiences. Whether they were in a relationship or not, a virgin or not, straight or not, at no point did it feel as though Hannah was bashing or shaming anyone for their own experience. Instead she was very uplifting and confidence boosting, reminding the reader that whatever their experience or lack of experience, it was totally okay. Regularly telling them to do what feels right for you, rather than what you think is right or what a person or society might tell you is right.
Doing It is the kind of book I wish I had had growing up and the kind of book I really hope people growing up now, will have a copy of. With that being said, I can honestly say I think no matter who you are or how old you are there is no doubt you will take something away from this book, I think it would be pretty much impossible not to.
Watch my full review of 'Doing It!' here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVzg2...
April 20, 2017
I can’t remember when, exactly, I started watching Hannah Witton’s YouTube channel. I’ve backed her on Patreon for over a year now, though, because she’s doing important work. YouTube has a fantastic community of people who care about discussing and educating on topics like sex and sexuality in a way that is accessible to young people. Given that many countries’ sex education curricula are lacking, to say the least (Ontario’s is better than many, especially with the recent overhaul, but we still have plenty of room for improvement), I’m a big supporter of young people having access to reliable information on sex, sexuality, and romance. Witton has been doing a fantastic job with her channel and numerous efforts beyond it, such as the Girl on Girl show, and the Banging Book Club she started with her friends. Now, in Doing It!: Let’s Talk About Sex, Witton has finally brought her knowledge, curiosity, and personality to the page, which is of course my preferred form.
An alternative title for this book might have been something along the lines of Is It Normal That I …?. Much of Doing It! is focused on addressing the reader directly and fielding hypothetical questions about sexual attractions, appetites, arousal, and actions. When you think about it, this makes so much sense. Adolescents going through puberty and experiencing things for the first time, especially when they aren’t equipped with open and informative sex education, really just want to know if what they’re feeling is “normal”. Is it normal to be attracted to certain types of people, or not to feel attraction at all? Is it normal to want to do certain things in bed, but not other things? Is it normal to ….
Witton’s overarching message, the theme of Doing It!, is that the answer to all these questions is a unequivocal yes. Yes, you are normal—or rather, there is no “normal”, there is no “acceptable” and “unacceptable” way to be a human being. People experience attraction and arousal to differing degrees, from none at all to being attracted to everyone of any gender; people have differing attitudes towards different expressions of sex and love. Witton reminds us time and again that there are only two overriding factors to consider when it comes to judging the expression of one’s sexuality: is it safe, and is it consensual?
In her quest to be as inclusive as possible, Witton acknowledges that as a straight and cis person, she has certain privileges and biases. So she includes contributions from numerous other people of different genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. As much as I love Witton’s voice and want to hear more from her, I really like that she made the space to amplify those voices instead of speaking over them or for them. This inclusion is far from perfect or comprehensive, of course. For example, although there’s a piece by Rikki Poynter about consent and deafness, which is super interesting by the by, Witton herself has remarked that she wishes she had sought out more disabled people to contribute their perspectives. Similarly, the chapter on body image and confidence could be more robust. Although Michelle Elman and Jimmy Hill both contribute some interesting thoughts on the subject, more views from fat people and people who have struggled with body image issues, with regards to sex, would have made the chapter even more informative.
By far for me, though, the biggest deal is the inclusion of asexuality in the conversation about sexual orientation and LGBTQ+ identities:
Not only does she include it, but she distinguishes between asexuality and aromanticism! The chapter goes on to include a piece from Amelia Morris busting a bunch of myths about asexuality and basically, as one would expect from Morris, assuring the reader that it’s A-OK to be ace.
I’m lucky in that I’ve always been pretty comfortable with my identity long before I knew the terms and labels I could use to describe it. Other aces and aros, I know, have not been so fortunate. Just imagine being a 14- or 15-year-old asexual person coming across this term for the first time here in this book and seeing that, actually, it’s totally normal and OK not to feel sexual attraction—but that, at the same time, that isn’t necessarily the same thing as being celibate or abstinent or romantically uninvolved. This unequivocal inclusion and acceptance of asexuality and aromanticism in the LGBTQ+ chapter in a book aimed at younger readers is hugely important.
There are so many other cool parts to Doing It! I’m not sure where to start. Witton is both funny and honest, such as when she confides about her ambivalence regarding masturbation, particularly because it took her a long time to first orgasm:
I love that, although Witton has the confidence to write a book and share her learning with us, she doesn’t position herself as an expert who has it all figured out. She demonstrates quite aptly that there is no age, whether it’s 18 or 25 or 50, when someone should be expected to have it all figured out. All of us are always still learning, whether it’s about sex or about life in general, and that’s a positive attitude to model. The very closing line of the book, without spoiling it, emphasizes and reaffirms this attitude.
Witton often addresses the reader directly, and she manages to do it in such a way that comes off as impressively agnostic. That is to say, I don’t feel like Doing It! is aimed specifically at, say, young women just because Witton herself is one. This is particularly noticeable when discussing things that are often assumed to be specific to one sex or gender, such as periods. Witton says things like “people with vaginas” or “people with penises” or “people who have periods” instead of “women”, “men”, etc.—because not all women have vaginas, and not everyone with a vagina is a woman. The section on emergency contraception and abortion (“well, if you don’t want to get pregnant and have a child then there are still options”) only mentions the word “women” once, when quoting a statistic. These turns of phrases are so deliberate but at the same time are definitely not awkward.
Like any book that tries to provide a comprehensive overview, Doing It! isn’t perfect. Indeed, most of my criticisms are structural rather than content-oriented. The book’s design is quite whimsical, with a varied and shifting use of fonts and decorative illustration—which is fine, but on occasion it can make things more confusing. In particular, the table of contents’ layout makes it hard to locate a chapter at a glance—which one might very well want to do, if one is reading the book piecemeal or wants to go back and refer to a specific section. Similarly, I wish the individual pieces within the chapters were listed somewhere. There is an index at the back (I love indices so much!), but it’s less helpful when you want to read, say, the piece called “Orgasm” and the index has several listings for that word. It’s also difficult to quickly locate specific contributors’ pieces or get a sense, just in general, of how many people contributed pieces on which topics.
Obviously, these are minor quibbles. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both at work at lunch time and at home. I’d be hard-pressed to say if I learned anything specifically new from this book (though the urine-injection-into-a-frog pregnancy test thing might count, I guess), but my understanding and awareness of a panoply of issues has certainly been deepened and broadened. Doing It! is informative and educational without sounding dry or academic. If you’ve watched Witton’s videos, you’ll know what I mean—and if you haven’t, then go do so. I mean you basically will get a sense of her voice and from there be able to decided whether or not you’ll like the book.
Most importantly, though, is the way in which Witton and Doing It! encourage people to have more conversations openly about sex. That’s not to say, of course, that you need to talk about sex or your sex life with just anyone, or that everyone must be comfortable talking about sex (i.e., if you are sex-repulsed, that’s totally OK). Rather, sex is not something to be ashamed of, and we will only benefit if we do away with the stigma of, for example, discussing periods around men, or talking about masturbation and self-pleasure. I’ve long been intrigued by human sex and sexuality (probably, I think, out of an anthropological kind of curiosity because it’s just something I have no interest in experiencing firsthand). It’s only within the past year or so, however, that I’ve started taking steps to have more open and deliberate conversations with my closer friends, and to discuss my own identity to that extent. Watching Witton’s videos and reading along with the Banging Book Club have definitely helped me in this journey. I can only hope that Doing It! does the same for many other people of all ages, but particularly young people who are just starting to discover their own sexuality.
An alternative title for this book might have been something along the lines of Is It Normal That I …?. Much of Doing It! is focused on addressing the reader directly and fielding hypothetical questions about sexual attractions, appetites, arousal, and actions. When you think about it, this makes so much sense. Adolescents going through puberty and experiencing things for the first time, especially when they aren’t equipped with open and informative sex education, really just want to know if what they’re feeling is “normal”. Is it normal to be attracted to certain types of people, or not to feel attraction at all? Is it normal to want to do certain things in bed, but not other things? Is it normal to ….
Witton’s overarching message, the theme of Doing It!, is that the answer to all these questions is a unequivocal yes. Yes, you are normal—or rather, there is no “normal”, there is no “acceptable” and “unacceptable” way to be a human being. People experience attraction and arousal to differing degrees, from none at all to being attracted to everyone of any gender; people have differing attitudes towards different expressions of sex and love. Witton reminds us time and again that there are only two overriding factors to consider when it comes to judging the expression of one’s sexuality: is it safe, and is it consensual?
In her quest to be as inclusive as possible, Witton acknowledges that as a straight and cis person, she has certain privileges and biases. So she includes contributions from numerous other people of different genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. As much as I love Witton’s voice and want to hear more from her, I really like that she made the space to amplify those voices instead of speaking over them or for them. This inclusion is far from perfect or comprehensive, of course. For example, although there’s a piece by Rikki Poynter about consent and deafness, which is super interesting by the by, Witton herself has remarked that she wishes she had sought out more disabled people to contribute their perspectives. Similarly, the chapter on body image and confidence could be more robust. Although Michelle Elman and Jimmy Hill both contribute some interesting thoughts on the subject, more views from fat people and people who have struggled with body image issues, with regards to sex, would have made the chapter even more informative.
By far for me, though, the biggest deal is the inclusion of asexuality in the conversation about sexual orientation and LGBTQ+ identities:
The definition of ‘asexuality’ is the lack of sexual attraction to anyone. Sexual orientation and romantic orientation are different; often they match up, but not necessarily. Asexual people can still experience romantic attraction. There are also aromantic people who don’t experience romantic attraction. And just as with everything else, asexuality is also on a spectrum.
Not only does she include it, but she distinguishes between asexuality and aromanticism! The chapter goes on to include a piece from Amelia Morris busting a bunch of myths about asexuality and basically, as one would expect from Morris, assuring the reader that it’s A-OK to be ace.
I’m lucky in that I’ve always been pretty comfortable with my identity long before I knew the terms and labels I could use to describe it. Other aces and aros, I know, have not been so fortunate. Just imagine being a 14- or 15-year-old asexual person coming across this term for the first time here in this book and seeing that, actually, it’s totally normal and OK not to feel sexual attraction—but that, at the same time, that isn’t necessarily the same thing as being celibate or abstinent or romantically uninvolved. This unequivocal inclusion and acceptance of asexuality and aromanticism in the LGBTQ+ chapter in a book aimed at younger readers is hugely important.
There are so many other cool parts to Doing It! I’m not sure where to start. Witton is both funny and honest, such as when she confides about her ambivalence regarding masturbation, particularly because it took her a long time to first orgasm:
As I got older and was less grossed out by the idea of self-pleasure, and growing more and more painfully aware about the lack of orgasms in my sex life, I became increasingly frustrated. Even though I knew it was normal for some women, I just couldn’t let it go. At this point I’d started making sex education videos on YouTube and I felt like such a fraud.
I love that, although Witton has the confidence to write a book and share her learning with us, she doesn’t position herself as an expert who has it all figured out. She demonstrates quite aptly that there is no age, whether it’s 18 or 25 or 50, when someone should be expected to have it all figured out. All of us are always still learning, whether it’s about sex or about life in general, and that’s a positive attitude to model. The very closing line of the book, without spoiling it, emphasizes and reaffirms this attitude.
Witton often addresses the reader directly, and she manages to do it in such a way that comes off as impressively agnostic. That is to say, I don’t feel like Doing It! is aimed specifically at, say, young women just because Witton herself is one. This is particularly noticeable when discussing things that are often assumed to be specific to one sex or gender, such as periods. Witton says things like “people with vaginas” or “people with penises” or “people who have periods” instead of “women”, “men”, etc.—because not all women have vaginas, and not everyone with a vagina is a woman. The section on emergency contraception and abortion (“well, if you don’t want to get pregnant and have a child then there are still options”) only mentions the word “women” once, when quoting a statistic. These turns of phrases are so deliberate but at the same time are definitely not awkward.
Like any book that tries to provide a comprehensive overview, Doing It! isn’t perfect. Indeed, most of my criticisms are structural rather than content-oriented. The book’s design is quite whimsical, with a varied and shifting use of fonts and decorative illustration—which is fine, but on occasion it can make things more confusing. In particular, the table of contents’ layout makes it hard to locate a chapter at a glance—which one might very well want to do, if one is reading the book piecemeal or wants to go back and refer to a specific section. Similarly, I wish the individual pieces within the chapters were listed somewhere. There is an index at the back (I love indices so much!), but it’s less helpful when you want to read, say, the piece called “Orgasm” and the index has several listings for that word. It’s also difficult to quickly locate specific contributors’ pieces or get a sense, just in general, of how many people contributed pieces on which topics.
Obviously, these are minor quibbles. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, both at work at lunch time and at home. I’d be hard-pressed to say if I learned anything specifically new from this book (though the urine-injection-into-a-frog pregnancy test thing might count, I guess), but my understanding and awareness of a panoply of issues has certainly been deepened and broadened. Doing It! is informative and educational without sounding dry or academic. If you’ve watched Witton’s videos, you’ll know what I mean—and if you haven’t, then go do so. I mean you basically will get a sense of her voice and from there be able to decided whether or not you’ll like the book.
Most importantly, though, is the way in which Witton and Doing It! encourage people to have more conversations openly about sex. That’s not to say, of course, that you need to talk about sex or your sex life with just anyone, or that everyone must be comfortable talking about sex (i.e., if you are sex-repulsed, that’s totally OK). Rather, sex is not something to be ashamed of, and we will only benefit if we do away with the stigma of, for example, discussing periods around men, or talking about masturbation and self-pleasure. I’ve long been intrigued by human sex and sexuality (probably, I think, out of an anthropological kind of curiosity because it’s just something I have no interest in experiencing firsthand). It’s only within the past year or so, however, that I’ve started taking steps to have more open and deliberate conversations with my closer friends, and to discuss my own identity to that extent. Watching Witton’s videos and reading along with the Banging Book Club have definitely helped me in this journey. I can only hope that Doing It! does the same for many other people of all ages, but particularly young people who are just starting to discover their own sexuality.
June 5, 2018
I really enjoyed this!!! It was entertaining while also educational, the voice of which this was written is funny and leaves no room for boredom. I very much enjoyed the different sections of others’ experiences besides just the authors’, this came across as more authentic. I’m glad to have read this and learned more than I knew before.
April 27, 2017
This is a nice read, quick and informative. This is targeted to a younger audience and you can definitely see that. Most of the stuff Hannah discusses I was already familiar with. I wish she can write a more "adultish" one one day. Anyways, I truly believe sex education is quite precarious and should be explored a lot more because the lack of knowledge and understanding leads to harmful situations. I would highly recommend this to every teen interested in sex (education).
However, I will say this: Hannah speaks from experience and the experience of some of her friends. They come from western countries, as I do, so keep that in mind.
However, I will say this: Hannah speaks from experience and the experience of some of her friends. They come from western countries, as I do, so keep that in mind.
July 2, 2017
4.5
A really important read! Can this be included in sex ed at schools? This would've been so useful to my 14 year old self but nevertheless I found it informative, hilarious and just plain awesome. I loved all of the anecdotes too, it was so nice getting many perspectives from people of different sexualities and genders.
I recently started watching Hannah on YouTube and would recommend her channel, she is fab! 💙
A really important read! Can this be included in sex ed at schools? This would've been so useful to my 14 year old self but nevertheless I found it informative, hilarious and just plain awesome. I loved all of the anecdotes too, it was so nice getting many perspectives from people of different sexualities and genders.
I recently started watching Hannah on YouTube and would recommend her channel, she is fab! 💙
June 19, 2017
5 Words: Relationships, humour, information, education, honesty.
Review to come.
Review to come.
July 14, 2023
i love hannah, and i love this book - it’s so important and i’ll defo be sharing it with my kids when they’re 14!
April 9, 2017
I don’t often read non-fiction books but when I saw that this book was coming out I just knew that I absolutely had to read it. Hannah Witton has succeeded in writing a book about sex which is just as funny and honest as it is informative. There is something for everyone to learn in this book regardless of your age or gender.
I loved that Hannah opens the book by talking a bit about her vision and dream for a future where sex and relationships education will be compulsory on the National Curriculum and certainly delivered in a more effective way. As a secondary school teacher myself I know for a fact that there is definitely a much bigger need for our young people to be fully educated not just about sex but about positive and healthy relationships. I was recently in an assembly where our school link police officer came to deliver a presentation to 14/15 year old pupils about the importance of consent and maybe more importantly what consent means. It was by far one of the best assemblies I have ever attended and I was thrilled to see a rather big section on this being covered in the book.
The content of this book astounded me, it really does seem to include a bit of everything. Hannah starts by talking about healthy vs. non-healthy relationships: what are they? How do I get out of an abusive relationship? Then it was on to the sex: losing your virginity, families talking the birds and the bees, consent, STIs, contraception. There are some excellent details about different types of contraception in here too – super informative! Gender and sexuality is a big chunk of this book and I think this is a section where people of all ages can really learn. If anything I think this is the part of the book that younger people may be more informed on than their parents these days. The list of what this book covers just goes on and on, you’ll have to read it to find out what it’s really all about!
Throughout this book Hannah really has opened herself up to the world and shares some exceptionally personal experiences with us as readers. However something I truly loved about this book is that Hannah does not try to imagine what other people’s experiences may be like, instead she has asked others to write about their own experiences and she has included them in her book. There are some excellent additions to the book by people such as Juno Dawson talking about her experience as someone who is transgender.
Another favourite part of mine in the book were the ‘myth busting’ sections. I think this is so important as it will really inform the readers, especially those younger people who may not know what is fact and what is a myth. I thought it was really nicely done and covered bases for all genders too. I think it’s so important that a book like this is not just aimed at one gender.
I 100% believe that this book will do wonders in informing young people and making real differences to many lives. Let’s just hope it gets into the hands of as many young readers as possible.
Thank you to Netgalley, and the publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved that Hannah opens the book by talking a bit about her vision and dream for a future where sex and relationships education will be compulsory on the National Curriculum and certainly delivered in a more effective way. As a secondary school teacher myself I know for a fact that there is definitely a much bigger need for our young people to be fully educated not just about sex but about positive and healthy relationships. I was recently in an assembly where our school link police officer came to deliver a presentation to 14/15 year old pupils about the importance of consent and maybe more importantly what consent means. It was by far one of the best assemblies I have ever attended and I was thrilled to see a rather big section on this being covered in the book.
The content of this book astounded me, it really does seem to include a bit of everything. Hannah starts by talking about healthy vs. non-healthy relationships: what are they? How do I get out of an abusive relationship? Then it was on to the sex: losing your virginity, families talking the birds and the bees, consent, STIs, contraception. There are some excellent details about different types of contraception in here too – super informative! Gender and sexuality is a big chunk of this book and I think this is a section where people of all ages can really learn. If anything I think this is the part of the book that younger people may be more informed on than their parents these days. The list of what this book covers just goes on and on, you’ll have to read it to find out what it’s really all about!
Throughout this book Hannah really has opened herself up to the world and shares some exceptionally personal experiences with us as readers. However something I truly loved about this book is that Hannah does not try to imagine what other people’s experiences may be like, instead she has asked others to write about their own experiences and she has included them in her book. There are some excellent additions to the book by people such as Juno Dawson talking about her experience as someone who is transgender.
Another favourite part of mine in the book were the ‘myth busting’ sections. I think this is so important as it will really inform the readers, especially those younger people who may not know what is fact and what is a myth. I thought it was really nicely done and covered bases for all genders too. I think it’s so important that a book like this is not just aimed at one gender.
I 100% believe that this book will do wonders in informing young people and making real differences to many lives. Let’s just hope it gets into the hands of as many young readers as possible.
Thank you to Netgalley, and the publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2017
I wish I had read this book when I was younger. I think when I heard it was 14+ I had expected it to be a bit more explicit but more importantly more academic. I felt like it was too quick of a read. I wanted more. Maybe I was looking for it in the wrong place and really just need to get myself some academic books on sex.
It was a decent read. Gotta admit though, the formatting for kindle was sadly pretty terrible.
It was a decent read. Gotta admit though, the formatting for kindle was sadly pretty terrible.
November 23, 2020
i've been subscribed to hannah witton's channel for a long time, and i love her sex ed videos, so naturally i wanted to check this out as well!
June 18, 2017
3.75 out of 5 stars.
This book is basically the sex education that all teens should be getting: accesible, inclusive, realistic and also very positive!
This book is basically the sex education that all teens should be getting: accesible, inclusive, realistic and also very positive!
April 25, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5
I picked this up because I was really struggling with the other books I was reading at the time, and it definitely helped me get out of that mini-slump. Also I've been watching Hannah's videos for a couple of years and really love it and her personality and wanted to see what her book was like.
This is a great, broad overview of all sorts of subjects pertaining to sex and relationships education. There are chapters on everything from healthy relationships to LGBTQIA+ issues to porn. I really appreciated that when Hannah didn't know much about a topic or it was outside of her experience, she brought in other writers from those experiences who were better equipped to talk accurately about those topics. She does include a small section of having sex whilst deaf, and I would've liked more representation of people with disabilities, but I know Hannah has addressed this in her videos and is working to highlight these things more in her videos and podcast (Banging Book Club).
Whilst I did know quite a bit of this because I've been watching Hannah's channel for a while, I still learned quite a lot and found it really informative whilst also really easy to read. Hannah's voice completely comes through, as well as her passion for what she's talking about which was really great.
If you enjoy Hannah's channel or are looking for a non-fiction that broadly talks about a range of topics around sex and relationships, than I would definitely recommend this.
I picked this up because I was really struggling with the other books I was reading at the time, and it definitely helped me get out of that mini-slump. Also I've been watching Hannah's videos for a couple of years and really love it and her personality and wanted to see what her book was like.
This is a great, broad overview of all sorts of subjects pertaining to sex and relationships education. There are chapters on everything from healthy relationships to LGBTQIA+ issues to porn. I really appreciated that when Hannah didn't know much about a topic or it was outside of her experience, she brought in other writers from those experiences who were better equipped to talk accurately about those topics. She does include a small section of having sex whilst deaf, and I would've liked more representation of people with disabilities, but I know Hannah has addressed this in her videos and is working to highlight these things more in her videos and podcast (Banging Book Club).
Whilst I did know quite a bit of this because I've been watching Hannah's channel for a while, I still learned quite a lot and found it really informative whilst also really easy to read. Hannah's voice completely comes through, as well as her passion for what she's talking about which was really great.
If you enjoy Hannah's channel or are looking for a non-fiction that broadly talks about a range of topics around sex and relationships, than I would definitely recommend this.
April 6, 2017
When I was about to hit puberty my mum gave me a book. As a reader and quite a shy adolescent, this was by far the best thing she could have done. I distinctly remember it being called Hair In Funny Places and it took a humorous approach to telling me about all the joys to come. I learnt most of my sex ed from that book, school and the rumours that start going round when you're in year seven. So, essentially, there were some mixed messages and some completely missed messages and I was confused.
Here is where Doing It! by Hannah Witton steps in. If you're 14, 20 or 25, there are probably still some questions and anxieties you have, even if you don't know that you have them yet. Or you've probably not thought about what it means to have a porn addiction, what feminist porn is, or what it means to be gender fluid, transsexual and the other relatively new terms in our society. Who adopts those labels? Why?
For my full review go to: http://readbyjess.blogspot.co.uk/2017...
Here is where Doing It! by Hannah Witton steps in. If you're 14, 20 or 25, there are probably still some questions and anxieties you have, even if you don't know that you have them yet. Or you've probably not thought about what it means to have a porn addiction, what feminist porn is, or what it means to be gender fluid, transsexual and the other relatively new terms in our society. Who adopts those labels? Why?
For my full review go to: http://readbyjess.blogspot.co.uk/2017...
August 16, 2017
The book provides a lot of accurate information, wrapped in a conversational tone. Sadly, it has a wrong definition of bisexuality that isn't used by the bisexual community, which isn't excusable when writing a book on sex ed in 2017. Furthermore, I kinda cringed every time I read the words "bio-sex male" and "bio-sex female", there are better terms and words out there. I also wasn't a fan of the doodle-like approach to the design and lay-out. It gave the impression of just adding some more pages to the book instead of actual information. Definitely a good starting point for learning about sex and relationships, but not perfect.
March 31, 2021
Tohle je kniha, kterou bych chtěla číst, když mi bylo 15. Je skvěle napsaná a je v ní spousta skvělých myšlenek a informací, které se v sexuální výchově neučí. V tuto chvíli jsem se z knihy nedozvěděla moc nových informací, ale myslím, že je ideální právě pro teenagery, kteří se chtějí učit o sexu a vztazích trochu zábavněji.
October 26, 2020
Sehr gut zu lesen. An manchen Stellen wünscht man sich mehr Tiefgang, aber es ist ein gutes Buch um sich allgemein mit der Thematik zu befassen
December 21, 2018
Uitgebreid boek waarin alles rondom seksualiteit besproken wordt. Heel duidelijk en met een vleugje humor. Leest heel erg vlot en is overzichtelijk ingedeeld.
Ik ben van mening dat dit boek door veel meer mensen gelezenmoet worden, want het bevat veel belangrijke lessen, voor jong en oud.
Ik ben van mening dat dit boek door veel meer mensen gelezenmoet worden, want het bevat veel belangrijke lessen, voor jong en oud.
September 26, 2019
I've been following Hannah Witton's channel for a few years now. I love her drunk advice video series, and as a curious person in all areas of life; I am naturally drawn to her frank chats about sex and relationships.
When I saw that she was writing a book I was on board straight away and knew that I needed to buy it. Fast forward a few months and I pre-ordered it to read for the Banging Book Club podcast hosted by Hannah Witton herself and her friends Lena and Lucy.
Okay so I'm behind. This was April's book and I got distracted for a while - to be fair I did May's book in March and have already read December's book so was I really behind? Yeah, okay so technically I guess I was but I'm not anymore! That's the important thing.
Anyway, back to the point! Hannah Witton has a way of talking about sex and the whole weird and wondrous world surrounding it that doesn't ever really make you feel uncomfortable, if anything she makes it fun and at times hilarious! She's also self aware enough to know that she doesn't know everything. She admits several times that she recognizes her privileges and defers to experts or people with first hand experience to talk on topics where the only knowledge she has on them is second hand and that is what makes her book so special! She doesn't try and seem like she knows everything, even though she does know a lot! Even with these experts, you never really feel like you're reading a big old textbook for school. They still are able to keep with Hannah's way of writing by making it fun and casual (as well as including a little sass in the direction of parliament where needed, I'm looking at you Kate Parker), as if you're talking to a friend you've known for years and are only just discovering what they do for a living.
My favourite lesson Hannah teaches all throughout the book is the importance of communication. As someone who yells "USE YOUR WORDS" at friends and family members constantly because some huge mountain has been made out of something that could have been easily solved if people just spoke to each other, I loved that Hannah repeatedly reminded readers just how bloody important it is in every area of your life, including and especially in sex and relationships of every kind.
I'm not going to lie and say I learnt a whole bunch from this book. I didn't. I'm one of the lucky people who are naturally very curious and I question everything. So I already knew most of what is talked about in the book from my own personal research. But not everyone is like that, and most young people, who need this information the most, don't feel comfortable enough asking these questions on google let alone face to face with an adult or doctor. Having a book like this is so important and I just want to force it into the hands of every young person, hell I'm sure I know a lot of fully grown adults who can learn a thing or two from this book. I want to purchase one for every single teenager/young adult in my family, but unfortunately with a family as big as mine I do not have the funds for that. So I'll have to settle for lending my copy out to everyone and recommending all my aunties to buy a copy for their families.
I really hope that this book finds it's way into schools, not just across Britain but throughout the world. I truly believe this book can do a world of good for young people. If I had read something like this as a teenager it wouldn't have taken me until I was 19 to feel comfortable in my own body and all it's functions, and to talk about all of it with other people.
Hannah Witton, you did bloody well and I hope you are so proud!
___
│Blog│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│
When I saw that she was writing a book I was on board straight away and knew that I needed to buy it. Fast forward a few months and I pre-ordered it to read for the Banging Book Club podcast hosted by Hannah Witton herself and her friends Lena and Lucy.
Okay so I'm behind. This was April's book and I got distracted for a while - to be fair I did May's book in March and have already read December's book so was I really behind? Yeah, okay so technically I guess I was but I'm not anymore! That's the important thing.
Anyway, back to the point! Hannah Witton has a way of talking about sex and the whole weird and wondrous world surrounding it that doesn't ever really make you feel uncomfortable, if anything she makes it fun and at times hilarious! She's also self aware enough to know that she doesn't know everything. She admits several times that she recognizes her privileges and defers to experts or people with first hand experience to talk on topics where the only knowledge she has on them is second hand and that is what makes her book so special! She doesn't try and seem like she knows everything, even though she does know a lot! Even with these experts, you never really feel like you're reading a big old textbook for school. They still are able to keep with Hannah's way of writing by making it fun and casual (as well as including a little sass in the direction of parliament where needed, I'm looking at you Kate Parker), as if you're talking to a friend you've known for years and are only just discovering what they do for a living.
My favourite lesson Hannah teaches all throughout the book is the importance of communication. As someone who yells "USE YOUR WORDS" at friends and family members constantly because some huge mountain has been made out of something that could have been easily solved if people just spoke to each other, I loved that Hannah repeatedly reminded readers just how bloody important it is in every area of your life, including and especially in sex and relationships of every kind.
I'm not going to lie and say I learnt a whole bunch from this book. I didn't. I'm one of the lucky people who are naturally very curious and I question everything. So I already knew most of what is talked about in the book from my own personal research. But not everyone is like that, and most young people, who need this information the most, don't feel comfortable enough asking these questions on google let alone face to face with an adult or doctor. Having a book like this is so important and I just want to force it into the hands of every young person, hell I'm sure I know a lot of fully grown adults who can learn a thing or two from this book. I want to purchase one for every single teenager/young adult in my family, but unfortunately with a family as big as mine I do not have the funds for that. So I'll have to settle for lending my copy out to everyone and recommending all my aunties to buy a copy for their families.
I really hope that this book finds it's way into schools, not just across Britain but throughout the world. I truly believe this book can do a world of good for young people. If I had read something like this as a teenager it wouldn't have taken me until I was 19 to feel comfortable in my own body and all it's functions, and to talk about all of it with other people.
Hannah Witton, you did bloody well and I hope you are so proud!
___
│Blog│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│
July 5, 2018
In my college courses and personal reading, I’ve found sex education books to be a bit tedious, often written in a textbook style. Doing It! by Hannah Witton is not that book.
This book is well-organized, humorous, and full of the same personality that shines through on Witton’s YouTube channel. Witton mindfully includes disclaimers here and there to let the reader know that this is how things are for her, or ‘this is a generalization,’ but let’s her audience know it’s okay that everyone is different. The icing on top of the cake that is this book is the Harry Potter references included in one chapter (#Potterhead).
Witton’s writing style is very casual and conversational, turning potentially heavy topics
in simple, easy-to-read parts that avoid the monotonous style of many textbooks on the same topics. Each chapter is broken down and organized into sections, and each section is no more than a few pages. This makes it very easy to pick up the book and read any single part, without worrying that you may have skipped over something important that builds up to that particular section.
I would have loved to have this book as part of my own sex education curriculum. Geared to a 14+ crowd and easy to navigate, Witton breaks down ideas that seem (and are) incredibly complex to growing minds. Addressing topics like relationships, singlehood, virginity, consent, porn, LGBTQ+, and many other important topics, Witton covers a vast area in a relatively short span. She comes from a place of privilege in her sex education and personal life, and she acknowledges this by stating that her own experiences shouldn’t be generalized to others, and invites her friends to lend their voices to the book as well, in order to address experiences that Witton has not had, such as being genderfluid, transgender, and polyamorous.
While this book was absolutely fantastic, there are some things that Witton does not address. While she mentions kink shaming, she does not go into detail about kink, which could be it’s own chapter. This is understandable though, due to the age at which the book is geared. Ironically enough, Doing It! is missing a chapter on sex and disabilities. Just a few years after beginning the book, and less than a year after it was published, Hannah underwent emergency surgery for ulcerative colitis that led to her getting an ostomy.
However, Witton directly addresses these exclusions in her series of YouTube videos focusing on her book. Want to know about what she would do differently (talk about disabilities), and why certain topics like puberty and kink were excluded? Check out video 6: “Things I Would Do Differently.”
Overall, I adored this book. I love it’s simplicity, and Witton’s upbeat writing style. I highly recommend this book for sex education courses, in place of dreary texts that make sex into a topic you could sleep through, or scare-tactic classes that instill fear into their audiences.
Read my full review here: https://vulvaink.wordpress.com/2018/0...
This book is well-organized, humorous, and full of the same personality that shines through on Witton’s YouTube channel. Witton mindfully includes disclaimers here and there to let the reader know that this is how things are for her, or ‘this is a generalization,’ but let’s her audience know it’s okay that everyone is different. The icing on top of the cake that is this book is the Harry Potter references included in one chapter (#Potterhead).
Witton’s writing style is very casual and conversational, turning potentially heavy topics
in simple, easy-to-read parts that avoid the monotonous style of many textbooks on the same topics. Each chapter is broken down and organized into sections, and each section is no more than a few pages. This makes it very easy to pick up the book and read any single part, without worrying that you may have skipped over something important that builds up to that particular section.
I would have loved to have this book as part of my own sex education curriculum. Geared to a 14+ crowd and easy to navigate, Witton breaks down ideas that seem (and are) incredibly complex to growing minds. Addressing topics like relationships, singlehood, virginity, consent, porn, LGBTQ+, and many other important topics, Witton covers a vast area in a relatively short span. She comes from a place of privilege in her sex education and personal life, and she acknowledges this by stating that her own experiences shouldn’t be generalized to others, and invites her friends to lend their voices to the book as well, in order to address experiences that Witton has not had, such as being genderfluid, transgender, and polyamorous.
While this book was absolutely fantastic, there are some things that Witton does not address. While she mentions kink shaming, she does not go into detail about kink, which could be it’s own chapter. This is understandable though, due to the age at which the book is geared. Ironically enough, Doing It! is missing a chapter on sex and disabilities. Just a few years after beginning the book, and less than a year after it was published, Hannah underwent emergency surgery for ulcerative colitis that led to her getting an ostomy.
However, Witton directly addresses these exclusions in her series of YouTube videos focusing on her book. Want to know about what she would do differently (talk about disabilities), and why certain topics like puberty and kink were excluded? Check out video 6: “Things I Would Do Differently.”
Overall, I adored this book. I love it’s simplicity, and Witton’s upbeat writing style. I highly recommend this book for sex education courses, in place of dreary texts that make sex into a topic you could sleep through, or scare-tactic classes that instill fear into their audiences.
Read my full review here: https://vulvaink.wordpress.com/2018/0...
September 6, 2017
5/5. This book is so important! I feel like sexual education feels awkward most times, and this book has made it feel fun and exciting, which is so good.
April 8, 2017
anyone from 14 to 144 would benefit from reading this book - it talks about sex, sexuality, relationships, body image, puberty, and much more with a very open-minded and positive mentality and actually teaches how to have safe sex instead of going around the topic like sex ed classes in school.
so, so, SO useful and doesn't shame people for having different preferences, genders, bodies, fantasies and it even touches on some of the legal aspects of sex and relationships (i promise it is not boring!!!)
i'd recommend getting the physical copy or e-book + audiobook if you can, just so you can enjoy hannah's lovely voice - if you have to pick one, i'd say get the book, because of the pictures!
so, so, SO useful and doesn't shame people for having different preferences, genders, bodies, fantasies and it even touches on some of the legal aspects of sex and relationships (i promise it is not boring!!!)
i'd recommend getting the physical copy or e-book + audiobook if you can, just so you can enjoy hannah's lovely voice - if you have to pick one, i'd say get the book, because of the pictures!
April 13, 2017
I think this book is a masterpiece and everyone can learn something from reading it, I certainly learned how some people seem to think that deaf people can't have sex...I was pretty dumbfounded when I read about that. I mean it does make certain things harder but it doesn't prevent them. Anyhoo this book is awesome, informative, well written and I couldn't pick a fault with it. Go buy it people, we need to be more open about talking about these sorts of topics, otherwise we go out into this world with false illusions. That doesn't end well for anyone.
A real eye opener this was - so thank you to Hannah for writing - I wish more people were like you!
A real eye opener this was - so thank you to Hannah for writing - I wish more people were like you!
April 14, 2017
If more YouTubers wrote books about topics that they are genuinely interested and knowledgeable about I would not have as much of an issue with 'YouTuber books'.
This is so important, especially for teenagers and young people, and informative! I loved that Hannah asked other people to write some sections in her book, like LGBTQ+ topics, that she doesn't personally relate to.
It wouldn't be weird if I just gave this to my 16-year old cousin and was like 'read this'. Right?
This is so important, especially for teenagers and young people, and informative! I loved that Hannah asked other people to write some sections in her book, like LGBTQ+ topics, that she doesn't personally relate to.
It wouldn't be weird if I just gave this to my 16-year old cousin and was like 'read this'. Right?
January 30, 2018
Definitely a good intro to the world of sex and I would surely recommend it to younger girls BUT... I gotta admit I've skimmed through some of the chapters since they were nothing new to me. I like Hannah's approach though and that's why I picked this book up in the first place (I know her from her YT channel & blog). So, yeah, good but quite basic.
April 9, 2017
Very informative! Definitely aimed for younger readers (14-18) but would recommend for anyone that age or trying to talk to teenagers and young people about sex!
April 12, 2017
More people need to have mindsets like Hannah's. I absolutely loved this book, and I feel like me and Hannah are cut from the same cloth; I didn't agree with absolutely everything, but I did appreciate every word on every page of this book. There is no question in my mind, when the day comes that I have young teenage children - they will be reading this book.
Healthy Relationships:
Throughout my teenage years I saw many of my friends experiencing things that just weren't healthy - and anyone who knows me well will know I had an experience of a very unhealthy 'relationship' through most of my teen years. My experience made me stronger and more aware of what I deserve and don't deserve, but that doesn't mean that how I was treated was okay. It was during this chapter that I decided that my children will read this book - I never want my children to not understand what they should have in a relationship and I feel like Hannah's writing will help educate them so, so much. I also spent 2 years being single and at first I found it very difficult (and not just because I was unwell); it was a lonely time and due to bad health I lost a lot of friends. But, being single helped me learn who I am and I'm a lot more comfortable in myself after that time. I think the only thing I really didn't agree with was Hannah's emphasis on friends... friends are of course important, but as someone who's more of a lone wolf (yes I know I talk about wolves too much) I found this emphasis a bit upsetting - friends can help you find who you are, and help stop being single being a bad experience - but, for me it was my books that helped me the most; I found myself and what I'm interested in through reading... and books can't desert you when you're in hospital. I also loved the break ups section because I think a lot of people need to realise that break ups just aren't very nice, but they do get easier.
Virginity
This chapter is so important. I love that Hannah answered all of the typical losing-your-virginity questions; another reason why I will make sure my children read this book.
Sex Ed
The sex ed section of this book was hilarious and I loved hearing about Hannah's Nudy's experiences! I also learnt some stuff too (so did my mum after I read some bits to her).
LGBTQ+
Again, I learnt some stuff from this chapter, and I got some answers to questions I didn't want to ask any LGBTQ+ individuals through fear of offending them (I also wasn't sure what the Q stood for!) Reading the passages by trans, gender fluid, queer, bisexual and asexual individuals was really refreshing and I pray that one day things like this will be taught freely in schools. I think of myself as being accepting and educated about LGBTQ+ individuals, but I definitely learnt some really interesting things. I am so, so pleased Hannah asked these people to tell their stories.
Consent
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. This whole chapter was a dream to read. I've had a few arguments recently about what consent means and it feels good to know that what my thoughts are match with the law. This chapter was another one that reinforced my want to get my (future) children to read this book; I want my children, regardless of gender, to know when someone isn't giving consent and that it's okay to withdraw or not give consent. There are a lot of people (on the internet) who try to deny what the laws say and I hate it. I'm sure this chapter will change a lot of people's lives. I think the part of this chapter that made me think the most was the part by Rikki about deaf relationships and consent - I found the notion that some people think deaf people don't have sex very strange, but I never thought about how consent works in deaf/hearing or deaf/deaf relationships. Huge thanks to Rikki for the education.
Masturbation
Like Hannah's experience, when I was a teenager we didn't really talk about female masturbation - boys could talk about it for hours but if a girl mentions it she was shunned! It was seen as gross and unlady-like, and I'll admit to lying when asked if I did it when I was a teenager. I've never been someone who does it very much, but I am happy to admit I do it now that I'm older and aware that it isn't something to be ashamed about. I loved the segment of this chapter where Hannah's friends had submitted their own masturbation experiences - there was one that matches mine quite well and it was reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who experiences are like that!
Porn
Again, this was something discussed a lot by male teenagers and I can confirm that it gave a lot of them a false idea of what sex is really like. I don't think it was ever an issue with any of my partners, but I know that some of my female friends were made to feel inadequate because they didn't match up to their boyfriend's porn-fantasies. Now that me and my friends are in our 20s I don't think it's much of a thing amongst us and our partners, but I know it definitely caused issues as teens. I love that Hannah admitted that porn is for everyone and that it isn't dirty - this is so important. I'll definitely be checking out Erika's work. Also, the bit on porn addiction was really interesting - I knew it existed but I didn't know anything about it, so a big shout out to Oliver for sharing his experience.
Bodies and Body Image
This is something that past me needed and current me is happy to have read. I am a lot more comfortable with how I look as I'm older now and have tattoos, but as a teenager I was very insecure because I was incredibly thin; people envied my size but I hated it. I'm not that thin anymore, but I think I would have been a lot happier if I'd had this chapter to read when I was 15. P.s. loved the drawings!
Sexual Pleasure
The "What is 'real' sex like?" bit was wonderful. I had no idea what real sex was like before I lost my virginity but six years later (wow I can't believe it's been six years) I'm still learning (and so is my boyfriend).
Contraception
Surprisingly, I actually learnt some stuff from this chapter! There were some types of contraception I'd never heard of so it was cool to find out about them.
STIs
I liked reading the story about someone who had had chlamydia; it was interesting, but also made me angry at the asshole liar. It's also nice to know I'm not the only one who has made partners go to a clinic to get tested!!
Sexting
Again, a really informative chapter that I wish I'd had access to as a teenager - I definitely would have thought twice about taking/sending pictures if I'd been more aware of the consequences. This chapter is another reason my children will be reading this book.
Sex Shaming
This is a chapter all women should have access to (and guys too). Such an important message for teenagers to understand.
If you've got this far, then well done to you for your persistent reading... as you can probably tell I adore this book. I relate to Hannah alot and feel like we could be great friends. Despite being one of the last of my friends to lose my virginity I've always loved talking about and hearing about sex. I think it's just an important thing to talk about and it should never be frowned upon. I want every teenager to read this book - if I could afford to I'd be sending copies to every school in the country.
Hannah, you have done something incredible with this book and I really hope it's only the start of these kinds of conversations. I don't just think, I know that this book will make a huge difference to a lot of lives. I may not be a teenager anymore but you've helped me in several ways. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Healthy Relationships:
Throughout my teenage years I saw many of my friends experiencing things that just weren't healthy - and anyone who knows me well will know I had an experience of a very unhealthy 'relationship' through most of my teen years. My experience made me stronger and more aware of what I deserve and don't deserve, but that doesn't mean that how I was treated was okay. It was during this chapter that I decided that my children will read this book - I never want my children to not understand what they should have in a relationship and I feel like Hannah's writing will help educate them so, so much. I also spent 2 years being single and at first I found it very difficult (and not just because I was unwell); it was a lonely time and due to bad health I lost a lot of friends. But, being single helped me learn who I am and I'm a lot more comfortable in myself after that time. I think the only thing I really didn't agree with was Hannah's emphasis on friends... friends are of course important, but as someone who's more of a lone wolf (yes I know I talk about wolves too much) I found this emphasis a bit upsetting - friends can help you find who you are, and help stop being single being a bad experience - but, for me it was my books that helped me the most; I found myself and what I'm interested in through reading... and books can't desert you when you're in hospital. I also loved the break ups section because I think a lot of people need to realise that break ups just aren't very nice, but they do get easier.
Virginity
This chapter is so important. I love that Hannah answered all of the typical losing-your-virginity questions; another reason why I will make sure my children read this book.
Sex Ed
The sex ed section of this book was hilarious and I loved hearing about Hannah's Nudy's experiences! I also learnt some stuff too (so did my mum after I read some bits to her).
LGBTQ+
Again, I learnt some stuff from this chapter, and I got some answers to questions I didn't want to ask any LGBTQ+ individuals through fear of offending them (I also wasn't sure what the Q stood for!) Reading the passages by trans, gender fluid, queer, bisexual and asexual individuals was really refreshing and I pray that one day things like this will be taught freely in schools. I think of myself as being accepting and educated about LGBTQ+ individuals, but I definitely learnt some really interesting things. I am so, so pleased Hannah asked these people to tell their stories.
Consent
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. This whole chapter was a dream to read. I've had a few arguments recently about what consent means and it feels good to know that what my thoughts are match with the law. This chapter was another one that reinforced my want to get my (future) children to read this book; I want my children, regardless of gender, to know when someone isn't giving consent and that it's okay to withdraw or not give consent. There are a lot of people (on the internet) who try to deny what the laws say and I hate it. I'm sure this chapter will change a lot of people's lives. I think the part of this chapter that made me think the most was the part by Rikki about deaf relationships and consent - I found the notion that some people think deaf people don't have sex very strange, but I never thought about how consent works in deaf/hearing or deaf/deaf relationships. Huge thanks to Rikki for the education.
Masturbation
Like Hannah's experience, when I was a teenager we didn't really talk about female masturbation - boys could talk about it for hours but if a girl mentions it she was shunned! It was seen as gross and unlady-like, and I'll admit to lying when asked if I did it when I was a teenager. I've never been someone who does it very much, but I am happy to admit I do it now that I'm older and aware that it isn't something to be ashamed about. I loved the segment of this chapter where Hannah's friends had submitted their own masturbation experiences - there was one that matches mine quite well and it was reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who experiences are like that!
Porn
Again, this was something discussed a lot by male teenagers and I can confirm that it gave a lot of them a false idea of what sex is really like. I don't think it was ever an issue with any of my partners, but I know that some of my female friends were made to feel inadequate because they didn't match up to their boyfriend's porn-fantasies. Now that me and my friends are in our 20s I don't think it's much of a thing amongst us and our partners, but I know it definitely caused issues as teens. I love that Hannah admitted that porn is for everyone and that it isn't dirty - this is so important. I'll definitely be checking out Erika's work. Also, the bit on porn addiction was really interesting - I knew it existed but I didn't know anything about it, so a big shout out to Oliver for sharing his experience.
Bodies and Body Image
This is something that past me needed and current me is happy to have read. I am a lot more comfortable with how I look as I'm older now and have tattoos, but as a teenager I was very insecure because I was incredibly thin; people envied my size but I hated it. I'm not that thin anymore, but I think I would have been a lot happier if I'd had this chapter to read when I was 15. P.s. loved the drawings!
Sexual Pleasure
The "What is 'real' sex like?" bit was wonderful. I had no idea what real sex was like before I lost my virginity but six years later (wow I can't believe it's been six years) I'm still learning (and so is my boyfriend).
Contraception
Surprisingly, I actually learnt some stuff from this chapter! There were some types of contraception I'd never heard of so it was cool to find out about them.
STIs
I liked reading the story about someone who had had chlamydia; it was interesting, but also made me angry at the asshole liar. It's also nice to know I'm not the only one who has made partners go to a clinic to get tested!!
Sexting
Again, a really informative chapter that I wish I'd had access to as a teenager - I definitely would have thought twice about taking/sending pictures if I'd been more aware of the consequences. This chapter is another reason my children will be reading this book.
Sex Shaming
This is a chapter all women should have access to (and guys too). Such an important message for teenagers to understand.
If you've got this far, then well done to you for your persistent reading... as you can probably tell I adore this book. I relate to Hannah alot and feel like we could be great friends. Despite being one of the last of my friends to lose my virginity I've always loved talking about and hearing about sex. I think it's just an important thing to talk about and it should never be frowned upon. I want every teenager to read this book - if I could afford to I'd be sending copies to every school in the country.
Hannah, you have done something incredible with this book and I really hope it's only the start of these kinds of conversations. I don't just think, I know that this book will make a huge difference to a lot of lives. I may not be a teenager anymore but you've helped me in several ways. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
July 23, 2022
I’ve done it and finished reading Doing It! I can’t take credit for that joke, it’s in the book.
I have a few critiques about the book but overall it’s enjoyable, relatable and really informative! It’s really interesting reading other peoples experiences and opinions on different topics as well as Hannah’s. The sources are really varied so it never feels preachy or like a textbook but because of the cohesive theme, the ‘narrative’ flows easily into the next subject.
My main criticism is that there are parts of the book where it feels like there should be more discussion - most noticeable is during the parts discussing sexual assault and abortions. It’s entirely possible that these parts are the way they are due to publications restraints or even knowledge restraints but the discussion on sexual assault focuses a lot on female assault, with only a passing mention that ‘men can be victims as well’.
Similarly, the topic of abortion is one page which states great information about uk laws on the topic and how there are a few different procedures and then ends, when it was followed by three pages of great resources and information about contraception (which has actually made me rethink my own contraception!)
I feel like the book could have benefited from equal ‘focus’ (for lack of a better word) on male sexual assault as well as female sexual assault and some more detailed information about abortion to show that they’re both alright situations to talk about and that they’re nothing to be ashamed of.
Ultimately, if my main takeaway is I wish there was more of it I think that says more than anything else and I’d definitely recommend it - no matter your level of sexual health knowledge!
I have a few critiques about the book but overall it’s enjoyable, relatable and really informative! It’s really interesting reading other peoples experiences and opinions on different topics as well as Hannah’s. The sources are really varied so it never feels preachy or like a textbook but because of the cohesive theme, the ‘narrative’ flows easily into the next subject.
My main criticism is that there are parts of the book where it feels like there should be more discussion - most noticeable is during the parts discussing sexual assault and abortions. It’s entirely possible that these parts are the way they are due to publications restraints or even knowledge restraints but the discussion on sexual assault focuses a lot on female assault, with only a passing mention that ‘men can be victims as well’.
Similarly, the topic of abortion is one page which states great information about uk laws on the topic and how there are a few different procedures and then ends, when it was followed by three pages of great resources and information about contraception (which has actually made me rethink my own contraception!)
I feel like the book could have benefited from equal ‘focus’ (for lack of a better word) on male sexual assault as well as female sexual assault and some more detailed information about abortion to show that they’re both alright situations to talk about and that they’re nothing to be ashamed of.
Ultimately, if my main takeaway is I wish there was more of it I think that says more than anything else and I’d definitely recommend it - no matter your level of sexual health knowledge!
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