Dr. Jessica Sánchez The Latina Sexologist
“As a Latina who has earned her doctorate, I never hesitate to introduce myself as Dr. Jessica Sanchez when I am occupying spaces where I know power dynamics are at play.”
Written by: Paloma Diaz Rivas
Dr. Jessica Sánchez, a proud and passionate Chingona, blazes a trail as a sex therapist, pleasure advocate, and professor, infusing her work with over 8 years of experience in human sexuality, higher education, sexual violence prevention, and advocacy. Her intersectional approach aims to restore women’s sexual autonomy and agency, specializing in healing sexual trauma, decolonizing mental health, and amplifying the voices of historically oppressed communities. Before diving into her groundbreaking work as a sex therapist and pleasure advocate, Dr. Sánchez served as the Director of Student Advocacy Services at the University of Texas Arlington (UTA), where she championed inclusive excellence. Under her leadership, she spearheaded impactful programs like the Maverick Pantry, securing a $250,000 grant from Kroger to fight food insecurity, and launching the Maverick Rainbow Scholarship, raising over $5,000 to support LGBTQ+ students.
Currently, Dr. Sánchez serves as a full-time Assistant Professor of Practice at UTA, blending her research interests in sexuality and pleasure with Chicana and Black Feminist Theory. Her doctoral research, focusing on Mexican American women’s sexual subjectivity, revealed powerful insights challenging stereotypes and emphasizing sexual agency and desire among Latina communities. In her role, Dr. Sánchez integrates Chicana and Black Feminist Theory into her teaching, emphasizing intersectionality within the field of social work. She believes in amplifying marginalized voices and driving meaningful change, evident through her involvement in organizations like NASW Texas – Women’s Rights Committee and the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas – Dallas Chapter. In a candid Q&A, Dr. Sánchez shares her strategies for challenging existing norms, securing funding for social justice initiatives, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling, advocacy, and partnership in creating meaningful change.
As a sex therapist and pleasure advocate, how do you leverage your background in academia and advocacy to challenge existing norms and stereotypes surrounding women of color’s narratives in sexual wellness?
As a Latina who has earned her doctorate, I never hesitate to introduce myself as Dr. Jessica Sanchez when I am occupying spaces where I know power dynamics are at play. Academia (a.k.a. The Ivory Tower), was built by white men who never had individuals like me in mind when the system was being designed. Because of this, I know how powerful it is for a Latina to have doctorate credentials and I have a responsibility to advocate for historically oppressed and underserved communities with the power a doctorate credential holds. The way I gently challenge individual thought processes and system policies is by questioning who told them about that belief and ask them if they believe it because they know it’s true based on their lived experiences or do they believe it’s true because someone or a system told them to believe it. You would be surprised at how many people realize in that moment that what they thought was true – really may not be! I also take the time to educate about bias, microaggressions and stereotypes. Same thing with policies. I truly enjoy challenging outdated policies by asking who wrote the policy (i.e., the policy that developed said narrative was usually written by someone who does not share any identities and/or lived experiences about the community the policy is impacting). I’m not afraid of being transparent as well. It catches people off guard when I say, “Wow, I am Latina, and your beliefs about Latinas has never happened to me.” It causes discomfort for them, not me. More importantly, I talk about sexual wellness at the same rate people talk about what they are having for dinner or their plans for the weekend. This allows me to normalize that sexual wellness is a part of our everyday lives and equally matters when we are talking about our overall health.
In your research on Mexican American women’s sexual subjectivity, what are some key insights that have emerged, and how do you plan to translate these findings into actionable guidance within your upcoming sexual wellness book for Chingonas?
That Mexican American women experience sexual subjectivity. Period! This means that they are aware of their sexual desires, they recognize their self-pleasure and pleasure from a partner, they have sexual agency and are able to personally advocate for their own sexual safety, they have sexual self-efficacy, and they view themselves as sexual beings. Shout out to academic scholars Horne & Zimmer-Gembeck & Martin & Schick for their work on sexual subjectivity.
Allow me to say that my research was completed with 20 women who identified as Mexican, Mexican American and/or Chicana. Twenty women does not make this a generalizable study however, I say all this to say…Mexican American women are such much more than the stereotypes of baby makers, submissive women who can’t advocate for themselves, are victims of consensual violence, have high STI & HIV rates, and so on. It was such an honor to hear the women’s stories about pleasure, self-autonomy, sexual confidence, and desire. It was an even greater honor to hear about their trauma too. I distinctly remember when I first launched my study via social media in 2021 and because it was during the pandemic, I was unsure of whether I would receive any self-interest in participating. Especially because talking about sex in my community is still considered taboo. When I put the call out, within 24 hours, I had 76 emails in my inbox. I remember crying due to feeling so overwhelmed because the response overruled the narrative that Mexicanas don’t talk about their sexuality or sex. The response & lived experiences of these Chingonas streamlined my passion to write a sexual wellness book for Latinas that highlights these powerful narratives and also discusses the deficits of my research (i.e., inaccurate and lack of inclusive sex education, influence of religious scripts on sexuality). I am hoping to release this in 2025.
As Dr. Sánchez continues to rewrite the pleasure narrative for women of color, she invites readers to join her in embracing sexual wellness as an integral part of everyday life. In a world where sexual wellness remains taboo, Dr. Jessica Sánchez stands as a beacon of empowerment, challenging norms, amplifying marginalized voices, and rewriting the narrative for Chingonas everywhere.
When asked who Jessica Sanchez co-sign, she immediately responded with, ”The first woman I would like to acknowledge is Victoria Leiato. Victoria is the owner and founder of The Bloom Space located in Oak Cliff. When I first met Victoria, her energy was magnetic, and our vibrations quickly aligned. I always give her credit as the first Latina in Dallas to believe in me and the work I am doing around sexual wellness. She actually offered her space to me for my first major event that I hosted in March 2024. When I tell you she is one of my biggest fans, she truly is! She lifts and empowers me so much, is so authentic & leads with abundance. She is exactly the type of woman I keep in my circle. The second woman I want to give flowers to is my best friend, Lizzette. We met in undergrad when I recruited her to join Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., a Latina-based sorority. She crossed Spring 2010, and she has been my ride or die since. There is something to be said about a best friend who becomes your soul sister, and who has seen you through so many seasons of change. To navigate womanhood with her by my side has been a blessing. She means the world to me.”
