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17th Sep 2015
It’s only a matter of time before someone who’s remained in the public eye for quite some time decides to take on a spin-off venture. For Gwyneth Paltrow, she’s knee deep in Goop. For Jessica Alba, it’s The Honest Company and for Alicia Silverstone, it was all things motherhood. Now, Jessica Biel has decided it’s time to turn her hand to something else: sex education.
The actress and wife to Justin Timberlake will embark on a series of sex-ed videos upon realising that she was rather clueless about the inner workings of her body as a teenager and even when it came to making babies as an adult. In an interview with Glamour, Biel explains that upon coming off the pill, she?found herself asking questions like ?I’ve been on the Pill for so long; how hard will it be to get pregnant?”and?”Now what happens?”
?Suddenly I realised I really didn’t know what’s going on inside my own body. It was shocking.?
This, coupled with the knowledge that only 22 states in the US are required to teach sex education in schools, Biel knew she was onto something.
The 33 year-old actress and new mom will join up with the founder of the non-profit WomanCare Global, Saundra Pelletier, to create a series of videos that aim to inform young women about changes during puberty, right through to adulthood. Discussions around contraception will also be a prominent feature.
?We want girls to know what their [body is going through] so they don’t feel scared or ashamed or gross,? explains Biel. Recounting her own experience of getting her period during fifth grade, Jessica says: “I was in a school play, wearing a gray beard and this pad the size of a skateboard and thinking, What is happening to me? We want girls to know what their [body is going through] so they don’t feel scared or ashamed or gross.” As for what to expect from the video series? “We share girl stories, fears, and insecurities. The tone is informative but also goofy, smart, witty.”
Those who follow the work of Biel will know that this isn’t her first foray into women’s issues; she’s devoted time over the last few years to another side project – Project Dignity – in which she distributes feminine care packs to women in third world countries.
Is it time to up the ante on sex education on this side of the pond?