With extra than 195,000 followers and 5.8 million likes on TikTok, Sriha Srinivasan is tackling the stigma all-around sexual well being 1 movie at a time. On her page, @sexedu, the 20-calendar year-outdated addresses everything from college hookup lifestyle and sexual pleasure to debunking virginity — furthermore, she educates her audience on topics like crisis contraception, abortion, and reproductive rights. As a Bay Location, California, indigenous and daughter of Indian immigrants, Srinivasan has crafted a exceptional job spanning social media, activism, and schooling — all with the intention of aiding destigmatize sex.

“I like the function I do on the net, and I consider it is so important,” the 20-yr-old tells Elite Each day. “But it has also enabled me to do better, far more significant operate in the communities I’m a section of, and that means a great deal to me as very well.” In June, Srinivasan graduated early with a bachelor’s degree in human biology and modern society from the College of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). There, she was a proud member of the UCLA Sexperts, a group of peer educators advertising sexual wellness, enjoyment, consent, and communication on campus. Put up-grad, she’s previously carrying out main items — like talking at the Foodstuff and Drug Administration (Food and drug administration) in Washington, D.C., to productively advocate for the initially more than-the-counter birth management pill in the United States.

Even with these achievements, Srinivasan is nonetheless (really relatably) navigating her to start with summertime after college or university. “I dwell a Hannah Montana existence,” she suggests, contacting from her grandparents’ dwelling in India. “They know I’m doing an interview ideal now, but they have no concept what it’s about. No one particular right here is familiar with that I make TikToks since they really do not have the app.”

Underneath, the information creator tells Elite Day-to-day about her journey as a intercourse educator.

Elite Daily: What was your practical experience with sex training escalating up, and how did you make your mind up to turn into a sex educator?

Sriha Srinivasan: As the daughter of immigrants in a spiritual family, we never ever genuinely talked about sexual intercourse. I went on to the Internet to determine every little thing out. I was fortunate because, in California public educational facilities, we get sex ed in fifth, seventh, and ninth quality, so I acquired a good sex education and learning.

I recall in my early teenagers, my mother and I were being at the kitchen table arguing about how several holes somebody assigned woman at birth has down there. That was kind of my lightbulb minute, like, “Oh, my God, there is a hole listed here that I haven’t regarded right before.” Immediately after that conversation, I begun working on a sexual intercourse ed curriculum, and before long after that, in early superior university, I went to India and taught it to 300 learners in grades six as a result of 9. I came again to the U.S. and started off operating with Solano County General public Well being, and that took me into my senior yr of superior faculty.

ED: At what point did you get the plan to begin your TikTok web page?

SS: My superior university expected us to have a senior challenge. I was scheduling to go into classrooms and instruct a new sexual intercourse ed curriculum I experienced designed, but then COVID took place in March. I was devastated, but I however necessary to graduate.

At the time, I was previously a TikTok user — I did not have any followers, but I built videos for pleasurable. I imagined I’d post seven movies in excess of a thirty day period to have a thing to present. The third or fourth movie I posted was me dancing and educating about chlamydia. It bought tens of 1000’s of likes, and I was stunned at the reaction. Persons actually favored the written content, and I was preventing a good deal of misconceptions about STIs as properly.

For the reason that of COVID, I had so a great deal time on my arms and absolutely nothing else to do. So I’d wake up, do my make-up, and make movies for hours on conclude. It was a truly terrific distraction from the environment all around me.

ED: What are some of your beloved ways to educate other individuals about sexual wellness, both of those on the internet and IRL?

SS: In school, my favorite audiences to do workshops for had been sororities and fraternities. In Greek life, a great deal of the discussions centered close to consent. An additional point is this concept of “being clean” — or alternatively, “dirty” — with STIs, and striving to destigmatize that.

On the web, it is fascinating since my audience has kind of grown up with me. The matters I talked about when I was 17 are distinct now that I’m 20 and have graduated university. Not too long ago on my FYP, I’ve witnessed a ton of video clips about the harms of birth control — mainly saying that if you take birth management, specially at a younger age, you are likely to get cancer. It is these types of a misconception, and misconceptions unfold like wildfire.

I try out my best — in individual and on the web — to say, “It’s correct that there is an greater danger of some cancers for some styles of start manage, but there’s also a appreciably decreased risk of ovarian cancer with most styles of start handle, specifically the pill. Of course, there are pitfalls, but there are also added benefits.” It is every single person’s option what pitfalls they consider on, and youthful men and women can normally find out a clinical provider’s view so they can truly feel cozy that they are selecting the suitable detail for them.

ED: Conversing about sexual overall health on social media can be difficult. Have you ever dealt with censorship on TikTok?

SS: I’m a to start with-gen Indian American, and TikTok was banned in India in 2020, really early on in my TikTok career. That was sad for me since I was fascinated in speaking about sexual wellness with other Indian children. But with TikTok, I’ll misspell anything and “imply” what I necessarily mean. It’s really hard due to the fact once films get taken down, your attain slows down.

A number of months ago, I modified my bio and applied the phrase “sexual health and fitness,” and I bought forever banned. You could’ve heard a pin drop in my room. I was in utter shock. Thankfully, I submitted an appeal and I bought reinstated within just a few of times. It was terrifying — all I did was put the terms in my bio, but that was adequate for the process to promptly ban me, even while academic written content on TikTok is permitted.

ED: Considering that TikTok is banned in India, you mentioned that some family members don’t know that you make sexual overall health content. Do you ever have to established personal boundaries with the information you share on the internet?

SS: I started my TikTok when I was 17. My sister is 15 now, but at that time, she was all around 12. I by no means article anything that I would be uncomfortable with her viewing. I started off this system because of my ordeals with my personal sexuality, my journey with enjoyment, and seeking other people today to know they ought to have access to people items. I understood together the way that it was genuinely essential for me to have boundaries.

Even while video clips about my personal existence might do greater in terms of quantities and algorithms, I’m really mindful talking about my associations — specially with my mom and dad. All those items are sacred, so I’m not going to put them out on to the Net. Also, I converse so substantially about consent, so I try to be mindful of what I’m putting up about other individuals. Sure matters are much more exclusive when I’m able to have them to myself. When I’m all set to share, I will share, and I have this sort of a wonderful neighborhood that is open up to that.

ED: You just graduated from UCLA, Course of 2023. Congrats! Now, the notorious senior-yr query: Do you have any ideas for soon after graduation?

SS: I received ill a several years back with some persistent health difficulties, which truly slowed me down and created me consider about what I want to do with my lifestyle. Which is when I met Loretta J. Ross, who is my reproductive justice icon — she’s one of the co-founders of Sister Song, which is *the* reproductive justice org for women of all ages of colour. I was definitely starstruck, basically telling her my complete lifetime tale and lamenting about how I didn’t know what I wished to do following. She said, “You know, I imagine you should really go to medical faculty. We need to have people today like you in the professional medical reproductive justice discipline.”

Nevertheless at 1st, I explained, “Absolutely not, Loretta” — my immigrant parents have been telling me to go to med college since I could stroll — just after a good deal of assumed and stress, I’m applying! For me, heading into medication, particularly heading into gynecology and spouse and children exercise, is twofold. One, I get to do a little something I love. Two, I want to be the ideal type of health practitioner for everybody I speak to now — like superior faculty learners and college or university learners. Anyone who does not stigmatize their sexual health and fitness and enjoyment, and who has open up conversations with them.

Also, I do a large amount of start command activism, and one particular day, I want to be a person of the medical professionals building the conclusions. I do not want to necessarily generally be battling to persuade someone of what I know is right. I want to be making the decisions for what I know is ideal.

ED: Any closing terms of wisdom you want to share?

SS: When I was requested to give last words and phrases for my sorority on senior night, I stated, “Pee after sex.” So, pee immediately after intercourse!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.