In 1991, New York City hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa released the hit single “Let’s Talk About Sex.” In the first verse, the group raps: Let’s talk about sex for now/ To the people at home or in the crowd / It keeps coming up anyhow / Don’t be coy, avoid, or make void the topic / Cause that ain’t gonna stop it.

Yasemin Emory, Whitney Geller, and Katie Beck Sutler are on a mission to fulfill that request. As the co-founders of a condom brand and the president of an emergency contraception (EC) brand, respectively—these women are making products that redefine what sexual health looks like, especially for the younger generation.

“Our ambition has always been to not add more crap to the world. We have no interest in add[ing] more stuff that isn’t contributing to a better conversation,” says Geller. Together with Emory, her close friend and business partner, the women launched Jems, a safer sex brand that offers body-safe latex condoms and 100% silicone lube.

While looking for contraception options between pregnancies, Geller and Emory noticed a void in the condom aisle. “It was so out of sync with what a young person would want today—what anyone would want, to be honest,” Geller says. “It prey[ed] on men’s insecurities with all these toxic images and words.”

Jems is different. The products are designed to challenge outdated notions around sex and sexuality. “[We want] to change the perception of condoms,” Emory says. “We love the idea of thinking about it as a wellness product that’s part of your arsenal.” To do that, Emory and Geller are thinking beyond the drugstore.

“We have goals to go beyond traditional retail. It can be at a boutique. It can be at a health food store. It could be Metro. It can be at Sephora. You know, you’re going to get your lip gloss, but you’re also going to grab your three pack of Jems,” says Geller.

The brand’s website is also a treasure trove of educational resources and advice. With blog posts covering topics ranging from consent to libido discrepancies, and Q&As with doctors.

Geller and Emory see the work they’re doing as a benefit, not just to the current generation, but to future ones too—one of many demographics they are keen to pursue.

“There are conversations to be had [about sex education] starting at age four, whether it’s about bodily autonomy [or] consent. So we would love to create educational resources for [kids],” says Emory. “We also know perimenopausal [and] menopausal women [have specific] needs. We love Gen Z, but I do think we have a broader audience to reach in the future.”

Launched in 2022, the U.S.-based company Julie believes that everyone deserves access to products and education that support their sexual well-being. “Education is a top priority for us, which is why every aspect of the brand, from the packaging to our website, is designed to be succinct, digestible, and honest,” says its president, Katie Beck Sutler. “Our goal is to educate women about emergency contraception so they can make informed choices for their sexual and reproductive health.”

On Julie’s homepage, the Learn tab comes before Shop. It’s a small detail, but it speaks volumes to the ethos of the brand.

“[We] meet people where they are in their sexual health journey [and] reject the stigma and shame the industry associates with the morning-after experience,” says Sutler.

Julie’s TikTok has more than 20,000 followers. Its most viral video (with 3.6 million views) shows someone “meal-prepping,” adding a Diet Coke, sour watermelon candy, and a pack of Julie to a Tupperware container. The brand’s tagline is “your friend with benefits.” That relaxed, approachable vibe is all part of the brand’s mission to reach a younger demographic and change perceptions about buying and taking emergency contraception.

Its one-for-one donation program, aptly named “Julie for All,” is another way the brand is working to make reproductive health care more widely available and accepted. The program partners with local organizations to distribute Julie throughout communities in accessible locations such as bookstores, college campuses, and community pharmacies. To date, Julie for All has donated more than one million units of EC to people in need.

“We shook up the emergency contraception industry with an approach rooted in education and ease,” Sutler says. “We’re looking to do the same with other sexual health products. Our hope is to transform the drugstore aisle and bring all your bottom-shelf products to the top.”