Doing It!: Let's Talk About Sex

About Doing It!: Let's Talk About Sex

Doing It!: Let's Talk About Sex is a nonfiction sex education book for young adults by Hannah Witton, a British YouTuber and sex-positive educator with a large following built around frank, accessible conversations about sexuality, health, and relationships. Published by Sourcebooks Fire, the book aims to be the kind of resource many teenagers wish they had been given: honest, nonjudgmental, and actually useful.

The book covers a wide range of topics — consent, virginity, contraception, STIs, pornography, sex shaming, LGBTQ+ experiences, healthy relationships, and the enormous range of what sex can mean for different people. Witton draws on personal anecdotes, reader questions, and conversations with a diverse range of voices to ensure that the book speaks to readers who may not see their experience reflected in traditional sex education curricula.

What Makes This Book Different

Sex education in American schools is frequently incomplete, inaccurate, or shaped by political constraints rather than evidence-based health guidance. Doing It! is written with the assumption that readers deserve accurate information delivered with respect. Witton's tone is honest and sometimes funny, but the content is serious: she takes up the question of what consent actually looks like in practice, how to navigate situations where people feel pressured, and how to think about sex in a way that centers wellbeing rather than shame.

The book functions as an introduction for readers who have had little guidance and as a supplementary resource for those who want more nuance than their school's curriculum offers. It does not assume all readers are straight or that all relationships look the same. Its inclusivity is part of its design.

Why Doing It! Has Been Banned

The book has been banned or challenged in 7 school districts across 5 states — Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming. The challenges are consistent across all of them: the book's frank treatment of sex, its positive framing of sexual activity, and its inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ sexuality make it a frequent target.

The challenge to a sex education book in a school library is, in practical terms, a decision that young people should not have access to accurate information about their own bodies and relationships. Research consistently shows that comprehensive, accurate sex education is associated with better health outcomes, reduced rates of unintended pregnancy, and reduced transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Removing books like this from libraries does not reduce teen sexual activity; it increases the risk that sexual activity occurs without the knowledge necessary to keep people safe.

For many young readers — particularly those in communities where sex is not discussed at home — a book like Doing It! may be the only accessible source of honest, evidence-based information. Banning it from school libraries is not a neutral act.