(New York, NY / September 17, 2025) – As debates over sex education funding and rising reports of troubling youth sexual behaviors make headlines, certified intimacy and relationship coach Elle Chase is urging a shift toward inclusive, pleasure-positive approaches that prioritize human connection, resilience, and well-being.
Recent reports highlight the challenges: more children encountering porn at younger ages, growing normalization of violent sexual behaviors, and ongoing disputes over the role of gender and inclusivity in classrooms. For Chase, these headlines reveal the urgent need for curricula that move beyond fear-based or shame-heavy approaches, offering students practical tools to develop empathy, self-awareness, and healthy intimacy.
“Everywhere I look, the conversation is about what should be restricted or removed,” said Chase. “What’s missing is the focus on what people actually need – skills for building authentic relationships, confidence in their own bodies, and the understanding that pleasure and connection are vital parts of a healthy life. Education done well doesn’t just protect, it empowers.”
Chase’s perspective centers on equipping young people, parents, and educators with frameworks that reduce shame, encourage dialogue, and normalize sexuality as a part of human development. By emphasizing relational skills, consent and the role of pleasure in fostering connection, she believes communities can create healthier pathways for intimacy that last a lifetime.
“As adults, we often come to intimacy without a map,” Chase added. “We can change that for the next generation by offering guidance that’s inclusive, affirming, and rooted in the realities of how people connect.”
Elle Chase is available for commentary on the future of sex education, the impact of media on intimacy, and practical tools for helping individuals and families navigate these issues with compassion and clarity.
To learn more, visit ElleChase.com.
ABOUT ELLE CHASE:
Elle Chase is a certified intimacy, life and relationship coach, board-certified sexologist and multi-certified sexuality educator whose work centers on empowerment, relational skills, empathy and sexual wellness.
The author of Curvy Girl Sex: 101 Body-Positive Positions to Empower Your Sex Life (Fair Winds Press, 2017), her writing has appeared in Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and HuffPost. She is a frequent media contributor, with appearances in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Today Show. She also serves on the advisory board of EducateUS, an organization dedicated to advancing progressive sex education policy nationwide. For more information, visit ellechase.com or follow @theellechase on all platforms.
# # #
