Carolina Torres is Designing Bold, Witty Sex Education Posters on Instagram

Carolina Torres is Designing Bold, Witty Sex Education Posters on Instagram

100 Days is an annual project at New York City’s School of Visual Arts that was founded by Michael Bierut. Each year, the students of the school’s Master’s in Branding Program spend 100 days documenting their process with a chosen creative endeavor. This year, we’re showcasing each student in the program by providing a peek into ten days of their project. You can keep an eye on everyone’s work on our SVA 100 Days page.


In “100 Days of Sex Talk,” Carolina Torres is opening up conversations about sex by designing one poster a day. No topic is off the table, from the importance of consent and different sexual identities, to BDSM and why you should be taking more nudes. Carolina’s research was inspired by the faults and gaps in her conservative Catholic upbringing, and she is sharing her findings in both English and Spanish for anyone open to learning and unlearning. This project is rooted in the strong belief that access to comprehensive sexual education and the ability to make informed decisions are human rights.

Carolina Torres is a graphic designer and illustrator from Bogotá, Colombia based in New York City. This is not her first time— and definitely won’t be her last— professionally engaging with the subject of sex. You can follow Carolina’s project on Instagram and find more of her work at www.mariacarolinatorres.com.


Orgasm | Orgasmo

Climax of sexual excitement, characterized by feelings of pleasure centered in the genitals.

Climax de la excitación sexual caracterizado por sensaciones de placer centradas en los genitales.

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Condom | Condón

Wearing a condom (external) is one of the safest ways to have sex. They are the only contraceptive that also protects from STIs and HIV. There are plenty of options out there, so find the ones that suits you. Also, remember to avoid oil-based lubes!

Usar condón (externo) es una de las formas más seguras de tener sexo. Los condones son el único anticonceptivo que también protege de las ITS y el VIH. Hay muchas opciones en el mercado entonces explora y encuentra la que sea la mejor para ti. Y recuerda evitar los lubricantes a base de aceite!

Queef | Pedo vaginal

Queefing occurs after air is pumped into the vagina and it is audibly released. It is normal and happens to everyone. It isn’t a fart, it doesn’t smell. There’s nothing to be embarrassed and shouldn’t “kill the mood.” Next time it happens either ignore it or laugh it off and keep going!

Queefing (o pedos vaginales) pasa cuando aire entra a la vagina y se sale ruidosamente. Es normal y le pasa a todo el mundo. No es un pedo y tampoco huele. No hay nada de que avergonzarse y no tiene que dañar el mood. A la próxima que pase lo ignoras, o te ríes y sigues!

Squirting | Squirting

Sex is wet and squirting is part of it! Squirting happens as the result of G-Spot stimulation or combination of G-Spot and clitoral stimulation for people with vulvas. It is the release of a light and transparent fluid from the urethra (that isn’t pee!) While most people with vulvas can squirt, it isn’t that straightforward and doesn’t take away from your experience if you don’t know how to do it. Female ejaculation and squirting are not the same thing, for as much as these terms are used interchangeably. How to reach it? Relax, put down a towel or try it in the bathtub and stimulate the G-spot with fingers or a toy or with the help of your partner(s)!

El sexo es mojado y el squirting es parte de él! Squirting es el resultado de la estimulación del punto G o de la estimulación combinada del punto G y el clitoris para personas con vulva. Es la descarga de fluido ligero y líquido por la uretra. (¡No es pipí!) Aunque la mayoría de las personas con vulva pueden hacerlo, no es algo fácil y directo de alcanzar y no le quita nada a tu experiencia sexual si no lo logras hacer. La eyaculación femenina y el squirting no son lo mismo, aunque estos dos términos sean comúnmente confundidos. ¿Cómo lograr squirt? Relájate, busca una toalla o ve al baño y estimula tu punto G con tus dedos, un juguete con la ayuda de tu(s) pareja(s)!

You don’t have a ‘loose’ vagina | Tu vagina no está ‘suelta’.

The vagina is a tubular muscle that stretches and contracts. It can feel tighter or looser depending on the amount of lubrication, and can “stretch out” over time after childbirth or with age. But the idea that a woman who has an active sex life (or who has had multiple partners) has a “loose” vagina is not only inaccurate but also dangerous. This trope has been used to shame women who enjoy sex. It has been weaponized against them and used as an excuse for violence. Let women enjoy their sexuality however they please!

La vagina es un tubo muscular que se expande y contrae. Se puede sentir “apretada” o más “suelta” dependiendo de la cantidad de lubricación que tenga, y se puede estirar con el tiempo después de un parto o con la edad. Pero la idea de que una mujer que lleva una vida sexual activa (o que tiene varias parejas distintas) tiene la vagina “suelta” no solo es una idea equívoca, pero también puede ser peligrosa. Este concepto ha sido usado para avergonzar a las mujeres que disfrutan de las relaciones sexuales. Se ha usado en su contra e incluso para excusar actos violentos. ¡Dejen a las mujeres disfrutar su sexualidad cómo se les de la gana!

Sex toys | Juguetes sexuales

An evolution from the shower head or humping other objects when you were a kid are were just discovering what felt pleasurable. There are toys for everything and everyone. Ranging from small bullet vibrators, to bunnies that work for dual stimulation (g-spot and clitoris) and strap-ons to enjoy with your partner. Days of being embarrassed about having a dildo or vibrator are behind us. Make sure to clean them well with soap and water before and after every use and to use water-based lube!

Illustration inspired by my all time favorite @platanomelon ’s art direction

La versión adulta de dirigir la presión de la ducha hacia tu vulva o usar objetos de la casa mientras apenas estabas descubriendo lo que se sentía placentero. Hay juguetes para todo y para todos. Desde vibradores pequeños tipo bala, a conejos que estimulan el punto G y el clitoris a la vez, hasta strap-ons para disfrutar en pareja. Ya pasaron días de avergonzarse de tener un dildo o vibrador. ¡Asegúrate de limpiarlos muy bien antes y después de usarlos y siempre usar lubricante a base de agua!

La ilustración está inspirada por la dirección de arte de una de mis marcas favoritas @platanomelon

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Taking nudes | Tomarse fotos en bola (nudes)

María del Mar Ramón, one of my favorite authors and feminist once wrote for VICE (and excuse my butchered translation):

“Even if they’re not meant to be seen by someone else, take some nudes. Let’s look at our bodies, find the pose, get horny with only looking at the photos we take and the way our bodies feel arousal, its shapes and peculiarities. Let’s sexualize ourselves under our own terms, for ourselves; enjoying our eroticism is a fundamental practice for our own humanity.”

Start by looking at yourself in the mirror and learning what angles are comfortable and look good to you. It’s not even for anybody else, even thought this is fun too. It’s about taking photos of ourselves for ourselves. They can be selfies, mirror pics, set the timer or on your laptop’s photoblog, just explore and find how you like yourself better. What a pleasure it is to enjoy our own bodies and eroticism!

María del Mar Ramón, (@delmar_rv) una de mis autoras y feministas favoritas escribió para VICE lo siguiente:

“Así no sea para mandarlas, tomémonos fotos en bola. Mirémonos el cuerpo, encontrémonos la pose, calentémonos de solo mirar las fotos que nos tomamos y la forma en la que nuestro cuerpo siente excitación, sus formas, su particularidad. Sexualizarnos en nuestros términos, para nosotras, disfrutando de nuestro propio erotismo es un ejercicio fundamental para nuestra humanidad.”

Empieza mirándote al espejo desnuda y aprendiendo los ángulos que más te gustan y te acomodan. Nisiquiera es tomarse fotos para un otro, por más que esto también es divertido. Es tomarnos fotos para nosotras mismas. Selfies o fotos en el espejo o poner timer o con la cámara del computador, explora y encuentra cómo te gustas más. ¡Qué rico disfrutar de nuestros propios cuerpos y nuestro erotismo!

Pleasure gap | Brecha del placer

The pleasure gap is the disparity in orgasms between the sexes. Truth is, pleasure is not equitable. While cis-men can say they orgasm 95% of the times they have sex, cis-women report only reaching orgasm 65% of the time. Gender and sexual orientation play a huge part in this, queer relationships are more equitable in this aspect than heterosexual ones. This issue exists because of the lack of attention that has been given to the female orgasm and the clitoris, the performativity of it all and the focus on the orgasm itself and the ultimate goal for sex.

This amazing article by @dameproducts breaks it down perfectly.

La brocha del placer es la desigualdad orgasmica entre los sexos. Siendo sinceros, el placer no es equitativo. Mientras hombres cis pueden decir que se vienen el 95% de las veces que tienen sexo, las mujeres cis tan solo reportan alcanzar el orgasmo el 65% de las veces que tienen sexo. El género y la orientación sexual juegan gran parte en este problema, relaciones queer suelen ser más equitativas en este aspecto que las relaciones heterosexuales. Este problema existe en parte por la falta de atención al orgasmo femenino y al clitoris, la performatividad del sexo y el enfoque tan grande que hay en que el orgasmo sea la meta del sexo.

Este artículo súper interesante de @dameproducts explica muy bien todo este tema.

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