Books: Hannah Witton – Doing It!
Kirsty Poynton · April 07 2017
Yesterday saw a very exciting and desperately needed addition to book stores, as Hannah Witton’s first book, Doing It!, was released. Being the avid YouTube and book fan that I am, I purchased a copy for my Kindle and devoured it in two sittings. As cliche as it sounds, I couldn’t put it down. The book is aimed at people age 14+ and discusses all the important aspects of life at that age and after, including sex, sexuality, body confidence and everything that comes under that category.
I’ve described Doing It as desperately needed as its content goes above and beyond what is usually available for young people, and although sex education will now become compulsory in England’s schools, my experience of it still leads me to believe that it might not cover everything that’s necessary for today’s society.
I endured the sex education that was given to primary schools in 2006/7, and that which was delivered in secondary schools in 2009. It was optional and many students didn’t attend the classes, which begged the question of what they were learning about it and where. But that wasn’t all that I found wrong with it, as the given perception of sex was that it would be painful and would definitely lead to STIs, and there was a lot of censored talk about periods where the boys had to leave the room. On the whole, my experience, and the collective experience of most people my age and older, was that anything to do with sex was negative. And as far as Witton herself is concerned, her experience was very similar, as she discusses in the introduction.
Which leads me onto this book and how magnificent its whole existence is. Not only does Witton openly talk about sex in a positive and caring way, sharing her own experiences and allowing her readers to make up their own minds about it, she also includes information about areas which are silenced in most sex education classes.
With handy chapters dividing the book, Witton includes information about sexuality and LGBTQ+, which I feel should be included in the proposed compulsory classes given in schools. This section alone, I believe, will give young people the knowledge they need and answer so many questions to help them feel comfortable identifying however they want to without the fear of feeling like an outcast.
Other sections in the book include consent, porn, STIs and virginity. However, the content isn’t solely related to sex, as there are also chapters discussing body image and self confidence, as well as healthy relationships and how to communicate with partners.
In addition to Witton’s own knowledge and input, there’s also a lot of content and advice from other YouTubers, health professionals, charity workers and even members of her own family. It’s a goldmine of information not only for young people but for everyone. Witton talks about everyone who contributed to the book in the following video:
The new sex education classes given in schools should use this book as a template as there is everything that is necessary to be delivered to young people perfectly complied inside. The last few pages are filled with other sources and contact numbers/helplines so you can feel confident that this book is giving you everything you need to know.
So whether you’re 14 and feeling self conscious about your body, whether you’re 16 and thinking about having sex for the first time, or whether you’re 21 like me and just want to know everything there is to know, you’ll love Doing It.
Witton uses her YouTube channel to talk about everything included in the book, and has described herself as an online sex educator.
Hannah Witton will be taking Doing It on tour, accompanied by fellow YouTuber Lucy Moon, at the following dates:
I’ve described Doing It as desperately needed as its content goes above and beyond what is usually available for young people, and although sex education will now become compulsory in England’s schools, my experience of it still leads me to believe that it might not cover everything that’s necessary for today’s society.
I endured the sex education that was given to primary schools in 2006/7, and that which was delivered in secondary schools in 2009. It was optional and many students didn’t attend the classes, which begged the question of what they were learning about it and where. But that wasn’t all that I found wrong with it, as the given perception of sex was that it would be painful and would definitely lead to STIs, and there was a lot of censored talk about periods where the boys had to leave the room. On the whole, my experience, and the collective experience of most people my age and older, was that anything to do with sex was negative. And as far as Witton herself is concerned, her experience was very similar, as she discusses in the introduction.
Which leads me onto this book and how magnificent its whole existence is. Not only does Witton openly talk about sex in a positive and caring way, sharing her own experiences and allowing her readers to make up their own minds about it, she also includes information about areas which are silenced in most sex education classes.
With handy chapters dividing the book, Witton includes information about sexuality and LGBTQ+, which I feel should be included in the proposed compulsory classes given in schools. This section alone, I believe, will give young people the knowledge they need and answer so many questions to help them feel comfortable identifying however they want to without the fear of feeling like an outcast.
Other sections in the book include consent, porn, STIs and virginity. However, the content isn’t solely related to sex, as there are also chapters discussing body image and self confidence, as well as healthy relationships and how to communicate with partners.
In addition to Witton’s own knowledge and input, there’s also a lot of content and advice from other YouTubers, health professionals, charity workers and even members of her own family. It’s a goldmine of information not only for young people but for everyone. Witton talks about everyone who contributed to the book in the following video:
The new sex education classes given in schools should use this book as a template as there is everything that is necessary to be delivered to young people perfectly complied inside. The last few pages are filled with other sources and contact numbers/helplines so you can feel confident that this book is giving you everything you need to know.
So whether you’re 14 and feeling self conscious about your body, whether you’re 16 and thinking about having sex for the first time, or whether you’re 21 like me and just want to know everything there is to know, you’ll love Doing It.
Witton uses her YouTube channel to talk about everything included in the book, and has described herself as an online sex educator.
Hannah Witton will be taking Doing It on tour, accompanied by fellow YouTuber Lucy Moon, at the following dates:
April 11 Bush Hall, LondonDoing It is also April’s book for the Banging Book Club, whereby Witton, Moon and Leena Norms read a book each month relating to sex and gender. You can find out more by heading to the Banging Book Club’s Goodreads and Twitter.
April 12 Glee Club, Birmingham
April 13 Academy 2, Manchester
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