A short look at the search results for "sex week" on Facebook will turn up a variety of opinions on the event. Despite the few posts from people advocating for it, there are many more criticizing the program and the university as a whole.
Among these posts are comments such as "Why are taxpayers funding this?" "Schools should not be promoting sexual activity" and "This is disgusting and has nothing to do with education."
Unsurprisingly, most of these posts appear to be very misinformed.
I'll start by addressing the biggest misconception I have seen: Taxpayers do not pay for Sex Week. In fact, Sex Week is completely student funded. At the beginning of each academic year, students are presented with an option to either "opt-in" or "opt-out" of paying for student programming. This programming includes a variety of other events, such as free concerts for students, in addition to funding Sex Week.
No student is required to opt-in.
College is a place for education, whether that be about chemistry or sexual orientation. No one is required to take general chemistry, much like no one is required to attend Sex Week.
College students are among one of the most sexually active age groups. If they are receiving education for their future career, why should they not be able to also receive education for their future health?
Sex Week does not promote promiscuity. If you are abstinent and choose to attend a Sex Week program, you are not going to be encouraged to engage in sexual activity. The programs focus on topics such as contraception, STD prevention, and sexual assault. There are also programs focusing more on the enjoyment side of sexual activity, but again, no one is required to attend if they are uninterested.
Considering the lack of sexual education in public schools, Sex Week is an amazing idea. The only sex education I received in my twelve years of public school was an hour-long lecture about abstinence when I was 11 years old. The basis of the topic surrounded the idea that if you have sex before marriage you will catch an STD. This is 100% not true, and being abstinent until marriage does not guarantee you won't be exposed at some point.
It has been proven many times that abstinence-only sex education does not work, so why should college students not have the option to be informed of the alternatives when they are of legal and consensual age?
Sex Week also helps bring light to one of the biggest issues on college campuses: sexual assault. One-in-five women and 1-in-16 men will be assaulted at some point during the time they are in college. Sex Week provides information on resources for victims, as well as education on consent to prevent the assault from happening in the first place.
If you asked me about what resources are available for sexual assault victims when I entered college, I would have only been able to list the local police department. However, I have received quite a bit of information from not only Sex Week but SEAT's (the organization which puts on sex week every year) other programs and events throughout my years at UT.
I hope this article has provided some insight into what Sex Week is really about and I have included the schedule for Sex Week 2018 for anyone interested in attending.
