Wellness Center to host Sexual Health Fair Friday

By Maddie Barron, Opinion Co-Editor, Magazine Editor

The Emerson Wellness Center will host the Come as You Are Sexual Health Fair on Friday, March 3, featuring a variety of activities for students to learn more about sexual wellness.

The event will take place in the Loft next to the Lion’s Den from 1 to 4 p.m. Attendees can enjoy free refreshments like cookies, fruit, coffee, and non-alcoholic “pleasure punch.” 

Students will be able to test their knowledge in discerning dog toys from sex toys, counter the age-old “it’s too tight” theory by stretching condoms, and even stock up on protection by “DIYing” dental dams. To gain—or flaunt—their sexual health knowledge, students can take a spin at the sexual health trivia wheel or answer some true or false questions about the Wellness Center.

Several Emerson organizations, including the Healing and Advocacy Collective, will be in attendance to offer resources and information. Emerson Flows will offer menstruation products and other freebies at their table. Students can meet with Theyta for genderqueer support, or Mystic to gain some spiritual insight and connect with their bodies. 

Representatives from wellness organizations in the Greater Boston area will host tables to connect students with sexual health resources outside of Emerson, including a pelvic floor physical therapist from Joint Ventures. They will provide students with knowledge about the best practices for maintaining pelvic floor health through self-care and at-home exercises.  

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, which will also be present at the fair, has served sexual assault survivors for almost 50 years with education, counseling, and representation. BARCC will not only connect students with immediate resources, but will also be available after the event. Anyone who needs immediate assistance can call BARCC’s 24/7 hotline at 1-800-841-8371. 

Another organization, Fenway Health, which is a quick 15-minute T-ride from Emerson on the green line, offers a variety of medical services but specializes in reproductive health and services for LGBTQ+ patients. Students can ask questions and learn information about their healthcare options from experts.

Students interested in having their sexual health questions answered at the fair can anonymously submit them using the QR code displayed on the event fliers. 

LGBTQ+ students can also learn more about the Boston Alliance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Youth (BAGLY), an organization that specifically works to advocate and create spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in the area. They have daily events, workshops, information sessions, and walk-in hours for those interested. 

Art lovers can visit Pleasure Pie, which will have art, zines, free stickers, and sex-positive resources. 

Don’t be shy in the sheets or the streets—this climactic event is not one to miss.