Visiting sexologists share safe sex talk on-campus

Alyssa Elso/Staff Writer

Sex can often be a difficult subject for students to talk about, but with the help of sexologists Joni Frater and Esther Lastique, students are no longer misinformed of the dangers of unprotected sex.

On Wednesday, Sept. 18, curious students gathered in the Stadium Club Room at Alfonso Field to have a sex talk with Sex Ed Boot Camp: “The most fun you can have with your clothes on” speakers, Frater and Lastique.

Together for 9 years, Frater and Lastique began their Sex Ed Boot Camp in 2010 and have since spoken to thousands of college students about how to enjoy and practice safe sex.

According to Lastique, the most rewarding experience of hosting the Sex Ed Boot Camp is making a difference in the way they approach sex.

“I have had students confide in me their darkest secrets or email me asking ‘what do I do, my condom broke’, giving them someone to trust is what makes all of this worth it,” said Lastique.

“Tonight I learned a lot more than I ever knew about condoms, the many different kinds and how they are affected by different lubricants,” said Arthor Alcuria, a freshman business major.

Among the many topics discussed was also the sensitive issue of rape and consent. The sexologists informed students of a Florida laws which explain that intoxicated sex is considered rape because individuals are not in a state of mind to consent, but many did not know it existed.

According to Senior Health Educator Ebonie Parris, in the state of Florida, if one party is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they are not capable of giving consent; for example, if they wake up the next day saying that they do not remember having sex and felt like they were raped, the other party could actually be arrested.

“A lot of students don’t really understand what consent means and what it could mean if one party is not consenting, and they can end up going to [the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution] for that purpose, so we want to prevent any and everything from happening as far as the demise of their academic career,” said Parris.

Student Health Services has also taken many steps to help students learn the dangers of unprotected sex and give them the outlet to practice safe, responsible sex.

“At Student Health Services, we have sexual health consultations where students can come in and ask any question when it comes to sex and sexual health,” said Parris.

In addition to providing consultations, Parris said Student Health Services offers free condoms – about 10,000 to 14,000 are given out to students every four months.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 19 million new STD infections in the U.S. per year, half of which are young people between the ages of 15-24.

“It’s extremely important for students to be informed about sex and the possible STDs they can contract, because it could happen to anyone,” said Alcuria.

In today’s society sex is everywhere: TV, movies, books, music and the Internet.

It is inevitable that college students are going to have sex, but with the sexual health services available to students and the informative Sex Ed Boot Camp students are no longer unaware or misinformed.

“If you’re going to have sex, be grown enough to have a conversation about it and to discuss your sexual histories,” Parris said.

-news@fiusm.com