7 Million Views, $188, and the Real Price of Free Sex Education Online
When I first started answering questions on Quora, it was never about the money.
I saw it as a place to offer some words of wisdom in a space cluttered with opinions, overconfidence, and a guy shouting on a yacht about high-value women. I thought it could use some new input, especially around sex, intimacy, and relationships. So I showed up fairly consistently, answering with honesty and compassion. I brought my professional experience as a certified sex coach and educator. And over time, something wild happened…
Over 7 million people read my answers.
One post, “How does Tinder work?” was read over 646,000 times. But I don’t know who those readers are. I don’t see their faces. I don’t know if they felt relief, frustration, clarity, or connection. I don’t even know if they made it to the end!
But I do know this: I showed up. I brought my education and coaching experience to a public platform that doesn’t always reward truth-telling, especially about topics like sex and relationships.
Then Quora introduced monetization. And I thought, “Why not? If I’m giving away professional-grade insights, maybe it’s okay to receive a little something for it.” So, I flipped the switch.
And then, the views dropped.
My writing became harder to find. Unless readers were paying, the algorithm quietly pushed it out of sight (note the dip in 2022).
To date, I’ve made $188.05 from 7 million views.
That’s about 0.0026 cents per view.
Just as I was sitting with these thoughts, I received an email from Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the largest affiliate in the country.
They made the painful decision to walk away from $3 million in federal funding rather than compromise their values. New regulations meant accepting the funding would require them to promote abstinence-only education programs that are proven to be ineffective, exclusionary, and harmful.
They chose integrity over funding, knowing exactly what it would cost.
It’s been this way for a while, but it seems to be getting worse. We live in a system where the educators, counselors, and organizations doing the most important work are asked to do it invisibly, quietly, and for free—or worse, to compromise their values for the sake of survival.
And if you’re wondering why this matters to you, it’s this:
This is why our kids receive outdated, inadequate sex education in schools.
This is why people stay stuck in unhappy relationships, repeating patterns they can’t even name.
This is why so many wrestle with shame, confusion, and unmet needs around their own pleasure and connection.
Because the people doing the work to change those things are often the ones fighting the hardest to simply be seen—let alone supported.
So yes, this is the part where I practice what I teach.
If my writing has ever helped you name something you couldn’t before…
If it reminded you that you’re not broken or weird or alone…
And you’d like to say thank you—
You can do that directly here: Paypal link to Donation
Tipping is entirely optional. But it’s available—because this work has value. And I’m done pretending otherwise.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being curious. And thank you for standing with me to value the kind of education that changes lives—even when the platforms and systems don’t.
xxoo
Lanae