It's amazing what you stumble upon on social media, isn't it?

The other night, right as I was starting to fall asleep, I saw a headline that said "Study Finds 'Law & Order' Fans Know More When It Comes to Consensual Sex." Even though it was a small study and more research should probably be done before everyone starts escaping all responsibilities to binge-watching the crime drama (although, I won't stop you), it struck a cord inside of me.

Upon finishing the article, I immediately sent this to my best friend, whose response was "It's almost as if talking about consensual sex makes people understand it more" and, seconds after, "It's almost like education is more effective than abstinence."

SO... why aren't we talking about it?

The sex conversation is, in a word, awkward. I remember the first time I ever heard about sex in the fourth grade. I came home almost in tears, not even able to utter the three-letter word to my mother. There was no mention of consensual sex, or even sex outside of marriage. Of course, they failed to mention rape to a room of 10-year-olds, but why did I not learn about it much as I took more and more health classes?

Universities in the UK are trying not to teach about safe sex; they are trying to teach students about sexual consent. Then there are people like this kid, named George Lawlor. He said:

“[Being invited to the class] implies I have an insufficient understanding of what does and does not constitute consent and that’s incredibly hurtful. Next time you consider inviting me or anyone else to another bullshit event like this, have a little respect for the intelligence and decency of your peers.”

He accompanied his post with this picture:

I'm about to drop some real knowledge on you, George Lawlor: rapists and victims do not have an identity, a face or a stereotype. How can we assume that any one person knows everything there is to know about sexual consent? Rapists and victims could be anyone. It could be you, it could be me, it could be the elderly man down the street. They are tall, short, fat, skinny, creepy, polished, charming, mean: all of the above.

Now, I do not know George personally, nor do I know about his sexual history. However, to say that the UK's efforts in trying to fill a gap in the education system is "bullshit" is extremely disrespectful. As students in high school and in college, we are taught about the many methods of birth control and even thrown condoms just for "safe keeping," yet rape is still happening.

Not only is rape still happening, but it's extremely unreported, even on college campuses. No one knows the exact number of individuals who have been raped, and there are times that people do not know they are being raped. Just Google some of the statistics; they are astounding.

However, this article is not about shaming rape, perpetrators or victims. This is about consent. Consent means that there are actual, very clear, words or physical conduct indicating freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or contact. Consent is moment to moment and both sexual partners should be allowed to say "no" at any time during sex, no matter who initiates it.

If you take only one thing from this article, it should be that consent is sexy. It will absolutely not ruin the moment if you ask "Is it okay if we have sex?" or "Are you okay if things go that far?", even if you are in a committed relationship or have been having sex for years. It shows respect for both your partner and yourself. It will definitely be more awkward if you end up in court and all you have to say for yourself is that "my partner looked like they wanted it."

Rape is not just a four letter word. Rape can damage reputations, create friction in relationships and, most of all, make a person feel less than they are. It is something that happens, just like the rain pours or the sun shines. The difference is that we can do something about rape.

I myself am not a victim of sexual assault, but there are many men and women who are. Teaching consent to people is taking precautionary measures and creating awareness in an attempt to stop rape from occurring. It is not meant to target people and call them rapists.

We have to talk about it. We have to educate people. Learning about non-consensual sex, rape and the real effects it can have on a precious life within the first semester is not acceptable. Did you know most sexual assaults on college campuses happen within the first weekend? During my very first weekend of college, I had no idea of that statistic. I'm not saying that it should be talked about in a classroom full of 10-year-olds, but we can start introducing the ideas of consensual sex from the first time it is talked about. If talking about it is the only way that people will learn about it, then that's what we have to do.

All you have to do is ask just one simple question: "Is this okay?" Repeatedly ask, if you feel like you must. It seems easy enough, right? All you need is one person to change it, and a few people to follow the leader. That's all it takes to start a revolution.

To the people like George Lawlor: stop acting like the victim when people are just trying to reform education to protect others.