Students looking for facts and fun scored big during Sexual Responsibility Week, which aimed to help students become more responsible about, well, sex.
Health Education and the Peer Health Educators (PHEds) provided prizes, snacks and games along with pertinent statistics and information about sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives throughout the week.
“It has exceeded my expectations overall, because people have really responded well to the games and I feel like people have learned a lot,” said Kristie Westmoreland, health education coordinator.
On Feb. 11, students who attended the Condom Carnival could learn everything they wanted to and more about contraceptives at the game booths in the Galaxy room. Annual favorites like the “condom relay” were back, where students raced to safely clad a wooden phallus in latex while wearing beer goggles. That wasn’t the only popular stop; the newly added “sex taboo” drew a steady crowd throughout the event.
“I have an assortment of colors of condoms now and that’s exciting,” said Ashley Ray, a sophomore psychology major. Students could win goody bags, enter into drawings for prizes and get plenty of free condoms. Of course, it wasn’t all just fun and games.
“I think the Condom Carnival is important because sex at UTD is not talked about enough. I think that the administration is a little naive about what goes on so it’s important that everybody knows how to deal with sexual situations,” said Kristen Blakely, a PHEd and a literary studies sophomore.
In the Comet Café, a cot and sleeping bag were set up beside a poster during the week. Students were allowed to sign on the poster, which was labeled, “if this looks like a place you want to be, go ahead and sign on me.” On Friday, another sign was added telling students about the risks of sleeping with partners without knowing about their sexual histories.
It was a subtle yet poignant message to try to get students to find out about who has slept there before regarding relationships, Westmoreland said. The bed and cot will remain set up with the posters and signatures in the Comet Café until Feb. 18.
For more information regarding sexual health or free condoms, contact Westmoreland at 972-883-4275.
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