by: Camila Echevarria
The final day of Sex Week brought USC students to the Sexploration Tent, an inclusive and informative sex-positive space in McCarthy Quad. There, students participated in interactive activities, Q&As, information tables, and giveaways related to sex education and responsible relationships.
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Government (GSG), Undergraduate Student Government (UGS), Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE), and the Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment (SAGE), with support from USC Student Health, Sex Week aims to educate Trojans about sexual identity, healthy relationships, and bodily autonomy.
“We want students to be educated about sexual health, consent, relationships with intimate partners, and to generally know how their body works. We want them to be able to have testing, prevention, and birth control information,” explained Minne Ho, executive director for communications and marketing at Student Health.
Feat. Erin Tillman and Nicoletta Heidegger
In this fourth annual edition of the week-long event, Sex Educator and Intimacy Coordinator, Erin Tillman, and licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist, Nicoletta Heidegger, joined the event to answer anonymous questions about intimacy and relationships.
“Sex is something that we can learn to do, just like you learn how to drive a car. And it is going to be different with every partner. It requires doing work on yourself and knowing how to communicate,” explained Heidegger.
Tillman, for her part, emphasized the importance of knowing how and when to consume erotic content: “Take what you can from porn videos, but don’t try to mimic every part of it, because a lot of it's not realistic.”
Brandi Junious, assistant director of Confidential Advocacy, Resources, and Education — Support Center (CARE-SC), commented that information empowers people to have healthier relationships and, therefore, make safer choices: “Sex education is really important, because it helps people understand what consent is, how they can communicate what they like and don't like, how to set boundaries, and how to exercise autonomy.”
USC students and Student Health staff also attended the Sexploration Tent to encourage visitors to grab resources, get information, and reflect about their relationships.
Student Health Ambassadors: Why Sex Week?
“We want Trojans to feel comfortable in their sexuality and let them know that sex is not a taboo anymore,” shared USC Student Health well-being and health outreach ambassador (WHOA) McKenna McAllister.
“It’s important to spread awareness and help our USC students have all the resources they need,” added Student Health WHOA Dylan Crowley-Loo.
“In college, something that we're not explicitly told is how to really practice ourselves outside of what we're taught in class, and a lot of this stuff is very unfamiliar territory for a lot of students. That's what we're here for. We want to break the awkward talk and let everyone know that asking questions is okay,” concluded Adrian Nevarez, another WHOA.
The USC Student Health Contact Center is available 24/7 at 213-740-9355 (WELL) to help connect you with the appropriate service or resource.
MySHR is for more than scheduling medical appointments. Students can also send secure messages, access medical information, and find available counseling groups, workshops, and Let’s Talk sessions.
