Author: Emily Phillips
Students walking through the quad last week could pick up colorful Proper Attire condoms, eat a cookie shaped like a penis, sign a petition regarding health care reform for women’s reproductive rights, get some free stickers or pens, write a letter to President Obama about why sexual health issues are important to them or read some statistics about comprehensive sexual health in the Cooler. All of these events were organized as a part of National Sex Ed Week of Action, Sept. 28 through Oct. 2.
Planned Parenthood affiliates held National Sex Ed Week events in communities, health centers and on high school and college campuses all over the country. As a component for the Community Organizing course in the Urban and Environmental Policy department, students Chloe Lee (junior), Sarah Long (senior) and Kate Meyer (junior) are interning with Planned Parenthood Pasadena and Planned Parenthood Los Angeles for the fall semester. They brought Sex Ed Week to Oxy’s campus in the quad last week with an enormous bucket of condoms, Twinkies and Jello shots representing male and female genitalia and sporting bright pink t-shirts with “SEX ED” written in large sparkling silver letters.
“We really just wanted to raise awareness about sex education,” Long said. “We are hoping that this is going to be an annual event on Oxy’s campus.”
Sexual health is of particular concern for college students. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all sexually active people in the United States will have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by age 25. During 2003-2004, 45% of those aged 20-24 years had a human papillomavirus infection. However, sex education is not just about STIs. Planned Parenthood emphasizes that a comprehensive sex education requires addressing all aspects of sexual health, including body image, sexual identity, health care and family planning.
“Sex education includes information not only on sex but also on race, gender and accessibility,” Meyer said. “Comprehensive sex education is an opportunity for young men and women to get informed, and information is power!”
Throughout the week Lee, Long and Meyer handed out a number of Planned Parenthood pamphlets on sex education and family planning, giving students an opportunity to learn about sexual health and providing resources to contact about any health care or counseling services they may want or need.”Withholding information from teens and young adults that could protect them from an unplanned pregnancy or disease is irresponsible,” Public Affairs Coordinator for the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project of Los Angeles County Dinah Stephens said. “I think one of the most important things for college students to know is where they can access the health information and services they need.”
Long is optimistic about the success of this year’s Sex Ed Week on Oxy’s campus and hopes that more clubs and organizations can be involved with its planning in future years. There is even talk about organizing a lube Slip ‘n Slide for the event next year.
“We wanted to have the Slip ‘n Slide on Friday afternoon, which I imagine would have been awesome, but it didn’t happen this year,” Long said. “We didn’t really know what to expect since this is the first time we have done it, but we attracted a lot of people to our table and we ended up getting a lot of people to sign our petitions, which is great.” The sex education wall display will remain in the Cooler for students to read during the upcoming week.
Long and Meyer encourage students to be proactive about sexual health and to get more involved in the education process through volunteer work. “Planned Parenthood and other organizations that promote similar ideals are always looking for volunteers, and we can always use extra hands,” Long said. Comprehensive sex education is used by Planned Parenthood to equip teens and young adults with the information and skills they need to stay happy, safe and healthy.
“I believe that having the knowledge to communicate effectively with our partners, have healthy bodies and healthy relationships and plan our families empowers us to lead the lives we envision for ourselves,” Stephens said.
Information regarding family planning, sexual health or sex education can be found at the Planned Parenthood Pasadena and Planned Parenthood Los Angeles clinics, the Planned Parenthood Express clinic on Colorado Blvd., Emmons Health Center or online at http://www.pplosangeles.org.
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