it’s never too late
You may know Charline Vermont behind the Instagram account “Orgasm and me” followed by more than 728,000 people, on which she speaks freely about sexuality, emotional relationships , pleasure but also consent and self-esteem. An account and a community that has only grown since its creation in March 2019. “This enthusiasm can be explained by the fact that I came to fill a void of information on this subject which is still too taboo, in our family circles but also at school. We are the heirs of generations who do not communicate about sexuality,” laments Charline Vermont.
In 2021, she then took up her pen to write the book Body, love, sexuality: the 120 questions your children will ask you to, as the title indicates, answer children’s questions about sexuality.
The Bible of Sex Education
“Parents have written to me to tell me that they learned a lot from this children’s book. I said to myself : I can’t even imagine what it will be like to write a book for adults, I have so much to tell you », she explains to us.
After months of work (18 exactly!), Charline Vermont releases her book Body, love and sexuality: there is no age to ask questions, a book on sexuality education for adults, accessible from the sexual age of majority (15 years old). “It’s the bible of sex education, with concrete tools for living your best emotional and sexual life. We can find answers to all the questions that will emerge at different times in our lives,” she describes. A sexual health trainer and sex therapy practitioner herself, she has surrounded herself with a group of experts to offer the most complete and fair tool. The book is educational, easy to access, very well documented and full of sweetness thanks to the illustrations by Stôme Busy.
Consent, kindness and self-esteem
“This book answers questions that we can ask ourselves at any age and depending on our life path. For example, there are a lot of people, especially women, who arrive on my Instagram account at the dawn of a breakup, a divorce, a separation, on the occasion of a child or simply to ‘an awareness that the sexuality that has been experienced until now was much more suffered. It’s never too late to ask questions,” adds Charline Vermont. Inside, we find a chapter on the body, sexuality, prevention of STI and pregnancy risks, but also on consent – the author’s hobby horse -, gender identity, the construction of healthy emotional relationships, communication, etc.
“It is an approach to sex education as a whole, not just a risk-based approach, as is often the case in schooling. We also discuss how each other’s bodies work, listening to emotions. It’s giving everyone the means to flourish, to know themselves better individually and then collectively,” she explains. Positive sexuality education, always with a lot of kindness.
A public health issue
For Charline Vermont, speaking freely about sexuality is also “a public health issue. This is the best way to prevent gender-based and sexual violence and to fight against gender equality and discrimination. »
Today, she is a DU (university diploma) teacher in sexual health (Paris-Université, Sorbonne) and a speaker in schools, to continue to gradually revolutionize the way people talk about sexuality in France. His dream ? “That all students entering their final year can have my book in their hands so that they can begin their emotional, relational and sexual lives by truly having all the information. » Another important point for the author is that her work remains at an affordable price. It is sold at 19.90 euros (and the book is very substantial!).
Body, love and sexuality: there is no age to ask questions, by Charline Vermont, published by Albin Michel. Price: 19.90 euros.
