Sexual Awareness Week kicked off its annual appearance at UCSD last week from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6. Headed by Thurgood Marshall College, the program enlisted the sponsorship and collaboration of numerous on-campus organizations to encourage sexual awareness throughout the university. Advertising the motto “”Sexual Awareness and You,”” the TMC Dean’s Office and S.A.W. committee sought to raise consciousness and increase education on the topic of sex. The week hosted a variety of events, including a night of Q&A phone sex, womens’ and mens’ workshops, and a sexual trivia game night.
Guardian
Paul Stravinsky, program assistant to the dean of TMC, was a key figure in spearheading the program. He asserted that the chief purpose of Sexual Awareness Week was to raise consciousness for healthy, positive sexual knowledge and communication. According to Stravinsky, most information about sex that is available on college campuses and on the Internet focuses on the negative aspects of sex, such as abuse, rape and disease.
“”It’s easy to point out the negatives of sex,”” Stravinsky said. “”But when you point out the positives of sex, people get uncomfortable.””
The program’s practice of passing out condom roses on Library Walk and its openness about sexual subjects could have created conflict, but the week raised little discord among campus students. This may have been a result of S.A.W.’s low-key strategy in advertising and anti-pressure approach toward individuals.
Because sex is a highly sensitive issue, the program sought to focus on the physical element of sex and less on gender and sociological topics. Stravinsky insisted that S.A.W. was not about promoting any set of sexual ideals, but rather aimed to enable people to be happy with what he described as “”whatever feels healthy, whatever feels right to you.””
A lecture given by sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein called “”Intimacy, Romance, Truth, and Dating”” was one among many events that occurred throughout the week. Klein is the author of a number of books that discuss a wide range of sexual topics, including “”Ask Me Anything,”” “”Beyond Orgasm”” and “”Intimacy, Romance, Truth, and Dating.””
He contends that before people are ready to use contraceptive technology, they need to be comfortable with their sexuality. Klein also denounced the notion that some people are not qualified to be sexually active, and hoped to clarify other misunderstandings about sex.
“”You don’t have to do sex perfectly,”” Klein said. “”Different people think of love, sex and intimacy differently, and each point of view has validity.””
According to Klein, sexual awareness includes the three C’s of good sex: communication, communication and communication. He maintained that the key to good sex is to be honest, consulting and responsible. In addition, Klein attributed our society’s misgivings about sex to a lack of an adequate mode of communication.
Shaun Travers, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, reaffirmed this necessity of communication in sexual activity. He said that one of the topics of the S.A.W. event “”Let’s Talk About Sex Baby: The Ins and Outs”” was the understanding that it’s OK to use dirty language, since even colloquial sexual terms have a dirty and negative connotation.
Sexual Awareness Week was well received by much of the UCSD community. Stravinsky described the public reaction as very welcoming and commended the turnout at events like the Sex in the Cinema screening of “”40 Days and 40 Nights,”” which boasted a crowd of some 120 people.
Carol Rogers, educational specialist at the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Policy, which co-sponsored the Sex in the Cinema series, lauded the diverse crowd of undergrads, graduate students and community members that attended the free screening.
Participation in S.A.W. events in the future, however, may be limited by individuals and groups who do not approve of the program’s methods.
Marshall junior Jessica Yu expressed her reservations about the events.
“”I think Sexual Awareness Week is a positive thing, but I don’t think it’s being presented in the right way,”” she said. “”Sex is not like a sport or a hobby; it’s much more weighty than that.””
Other individuals who find moral conflicts with S.A.W.’s approach simply do not participate or promote the activities.
Anbar Mahar, who is a member of the Muslim Student Association, said, “”It is important for people to understand all the consequences of having sex and ways to protect yourself, but as Muslims, we believe the best and safest method is abstinence.””
Klein defended sexual education programs by arguing that our contemporary sexualized culture is not encouraged by these educational programs, but is in fact the product of advertising, media, religion and capitalism.
Travers also differentiated between the positive sexuality promoted in sexual education programs and the negative sexuality as portrayed in the mass media. Positive sexual energy, he said, respects people and doesn’t objectify them.
Overall, the introduction of Sexual Awareness Week proved to be successful, and the collaborating committees are already planning for next year’s events. Stravinsky emphasized S.A.W.’s purpose to help students and direct them to other services available on campus.
To find out more information about the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Policy, go to http://oshpp.ucsd.edu.
