How is sex week funded?
Because Student Advocates for Sexual Health Awareness is a student organization, we are eligible to apply for funding through the Council on Student Affairs. Any funds we may receive from CSA are sourced from the student activity fee. Also, private sponsors that support our mission may donate in any way they like—direct donations, prize donations, or donations of goods and services.
Although Sex Week is more informative and inclusive than the typical Ohio high school sex ed, we do not get any taxpayer money.
Are you guys even qualified to do this?
We believe college students are qualified to educate their peers, advocate for their health, and facilitate healthy discussions.
For any major events, we are beyond happy to bring in the experts, which is why we partner with so many groups for Sex Week.
why do you include planned parenthood? Does that mean you are pro-choice?
Planned Parenthood is a huge provider of health services for men and women, particularly low-income women. They do STI testing, STI treatment, cancer screenings, pelvic exams, birth control distribution, community education, and so much more. These are vital services that protect public health; we want to recognize them and include them in our community.
Currently, abortion is legal in Ohio. Yes, Planned Parenthood performs abortions, of which women are legally entitled. Considering that 1 in 4 women will get an abortion in her life (Guttmacher, 2017), and OSU is a majority-female campus (OSU Statistical Summary, 2018), we consider it to be an important topic that needs discussion.
Why don’t you partner with any pregnancy crisis centers?
Pregnancy Crisis Centers are intended for pregnant people, while Sex Week wants to educate people on how to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Pregnancy Crisis Centers are not licensed medical providers and are known to give medically inaccurate information. Because they are not licensed, they are not held to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)—the laws that keep your medical records and identity confidential.
Lastly, Pregnancy Crisis Centers are unethical, misleading, inaccurate, and a threat to public health. This is not just SASHA’s opinion; many peer-reviewed journals have concluded the same thing. These sources are linked below:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010782412004155
i saw the sex week schedule. many of the events are not directly health-related. explain.
SASHA believes that anything with a social stigma attached to it can indirectly influence health. If people feel judged for something, they are less likely to talk about it. Staying silent about problems can make them grow into something worse that can ultimately hurt one’s health.
For instance, many people use sex toys, whether solo or with a partner. However, due to the lingering stigma surrounding them, crucial safety information often goes unnoticed. This includes knowledge about which lubes are safe to use, how to properly clean the toys, and how STIs can be transmitted through them. Without this information, people may unknowingly compromise their health or safety. The same goes for many other topics that Sex Week covers.