In a cozy room filled with comfortable couches, Sexual Wellness and Advocacy Team intern Jenny Russell sat in a rocking chair ready to begin the week’s discussion about sex and relationships.
From putting a condom on a banana to acting out a skit on sexually transmitted infections, sex education at the ASUO Women’s Center covers it all.
“This discussion offers a safe space for people to open up personal experiences and talk about things that can sometimes be considered socially taboo,” Russell said. “It also offers people a way to learn from their peers by bringing people together in a discussion to co-educate one another on sexual wellness.”
As they waited for other students to join the discussion, Russell and a few participants exchanged horror stories about a misplaced clitoris on an incorrect anatomical diagram.
Most students have had a variety of experiences when it comes to their previous sex education. Russell said high school sex education often focuses too much on the scientific aspects of sexual awareness and not necessarily the emotional effects.
Although Russell said the anatomic and scientific parts of sex education are important, the discussion focuses on the educational needs of the participants. The sex education discussion, which is open to both genders and all levels of sexual experience, combines emotional issues and communication problems to tailor to most students’ needs.
“We are usually taught sex education in such a scientific way with a focus on the reproductive parts of it,” Russell said. “Communication skills are not taught as much as they should be, and they don’t discuss gender roles. There needs to be awareness raised about these things. There shouldn’t be so much shame around your sexual choices
and expressions.”
Sophomore and Sexual Violence Prevention and Education intern Devon Schlotterbeck attended the discussion a few times after hearing about it from Russell and really enjoyed
the activities.
“I think activities bring a humorous aspect to learning about sexual wellness when normally talking about sex is sort of taboo and thought of as an awkward and embarrassing thing to talk about. Having activities and stuff creates a more fun environment,” Schlotterbeck said.
Similar to many students, Schlotterbeck’s sex education in high school lacked the necessary focus on the emotional issues involved with sexual activity.
“The biggest thing is talking about communication itself, and there’s not much communication from the educator to the students about sex, which keeps the students from learning about how to comfortably talk about sex, whether it’s with their partner or their educator,” Schlotterbeck said.
Russell said the weekly discussion gives students a chance to talk about how they feel and sexual experiences they have had in a comfortable and open environment.
“I never got any sort of sex education growing up, and this is just a way for us better educate ourselves about the different aspects of sex education,” Schlotterbeck said. “It’s a great way to do it because we get to decide what we want to learn about.”
The weekly Friday discussions at noon began last month, and Russell said they will most likely continue into winter term. The discussion topics are shaped by what the participants want to explore and talk about, as well as a constant emphasis on communication between sexual partners.
Although the discussion covers serious topics such as sexual assault and sexually transmitted infections, Russell strives to make it engaging, fun and beneficial for all.
“People have wanted to talk about open relationships, BDSM, threesomes, media and culture, and I’ve created a ‘Sexploration Guide’ to help facilitate conversation between sexual partners to prevent things like STIs,” Russell said.
Sophomore Jordyn Davis started attending the weekly sessions because she wanted to be more comfortable with her sexuality.
“I feel like I missed out on a lot of sex education, as the discussions we had in high school were rather limited and my parents never really opened discussion on the subject. I find myself often embarrassed, uncomfortable and even ashamed when expressing my sexuality,” Davis said.
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From STIs to condoms, SWAT teaches it all
Daily Emerald
November 18, 2009
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