October 16: Sex week
It’s awesome that as college students we are able to freely express our opinions of whatever matter we are passionate about. I noticed Wednesday there was a cute little editorial cartoon by Richie Bates about Sex Week.
It seems as though the purpose of Sex Week was not clearly relayed to this talented artist. Unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and sexual violence disproportionately burden young adults. The purpose of Sex Week is to provide diverse opportunities for the campus community to learn, connect and explore the dynamic world of sexuality and sexual health and wellness. Numerous student and campus organizations as well as sexuality experts in the community have collaborated to provide a variety of resources, perspectives and forums for conversation. They worked hard to create open, safe spaces for people to talk about this subject.
Looking at the calendar of events, you can see condoms are not our sole educational resource. I have been to many of the events, and students are conversing about topics they previously have been reluctant to broach. They are also learning much from one another in these conversations. It’s great to talk about this because the more information students receive, the safer choices students can make. There are a number of events geared toward the different campus populations. We believe the program has succeeded in being as inclusive as possible.
I hope this doesn’t come across as a personal attack. I just want everyone to be as informed as possible about the purpose of Sex Week. We, as students, want this program to be available for the students after us who may be deprived of accurate and sufficient guidance about their sexual health. We want these students to have the same guidance we are receiving. If we send the wrong messages about this event, it can be very difficult to provide these services to our students in the future. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Angelica Rego is a senior community health major, and a Sexual Health And Reproductive Education program intern. She can be reached at arego1@terpmail.umd.edu.
