Cindy Gallop made a splash in 2009 in which she spoke at TED about how hardcore porn has directly affected her life. She goes on to explain that porn creates unrealistic expectations of both men and women in sexual relationships. She also points out that pornography has a way of acting as sexual education tool for children in schools that teach abstinence only. In response to this cultural phenomenon she created MakeLoveNotPorn a website dedicated to initiating a conversation about sex and healthy sexual relationships. This site is a platform for both men and women to engage in a meaningful conversation about sexual relationships outside of porn.
Wise Guyz is a program that began when the founders realized that most sexual health education was geared toward women and that although teen pregnancies were declining, domestic violence, STIs, and homophobia were on the rise. They realized that most boys were seeing troubling images in the media of what it meant to be a man. This is why Wise Guyz was founded, to combat these problematic messages and educate young men on issues such as human rights, sexual health, gender, and positive relationships.
Ovatemp helps women regain control of their reproductive health through the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). This method involves women tracking their cycles allowing them to either achieve or avoid pregnancy naturally. The Ovatemp app syncs to a Bluetooth thermometer to track the users temperature and combined with elements of traditional charting can pinpoint on which days women are ovulating. Their product is more than just a charting app. It has a support community and gives advice on how to get your reproductive health into ideal shape helping women to be empowered in their reproductive health.
Callisto is changing the way that sexual assault is reported on college campuses. According to their website one in five women will be sexually assaulted in college, and many men are as well. Yet, less than 10% of those assaulted report it to the college or police. They have created a third-party sexual assault reporting system designed to provide a safe and confidential reporting environment. Their system has a three-step process that allows the user to control their report every step of the way. Callisto empowers survivors to have control in a situation where there is seemingly none.