Welcome back THRIVE readers to another year of celebrating SEXtember! If you don’t already know, SEXtember is UNSW’s annual celebration of sexual health, identity, and inclusive education. Since 2019, it’s been all about encouraging open, healthy, and inclusive conversations around sexuality, sexual health, and healthy relationships. This year’s theme is “Safe. Sexy. Smart.”, which is about making informed choices, having fun, regular STI checks, healthy connections and pleasure that feels right for you. Join us this September for a fun trivia night, creative workshops, and learn more about the importance of sexual education, how you can start open and respectful conversations, and a podcast recommendation with amazing stories of how others broke the stigma!
Take This Quiz!
To start, test your knowledge on consent and sexual health by answering these questions and scroll down till the end of the article to find out if you got them correct!
1. You should ask for consent before:
A. Holding hands
B. Kissing
C. Having sex
D. All of the above
2. Condoms don’t have an expiry date:
A. True
B. False
3. Can HIV be passed from person to person during unprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV?
A. Yes
B. No
Sexual Education
After answering the quiz, do you feel confident about your understanding of sex and consent? Or do you want to learn more but find it a little awkward or embarrassing to talk about this with someone else?
In certain parts of the world, sex is still taboo and a topic rarely talked about. However, sex education is important to make sure everyone can access the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to lead healthy and empowered lives. We can learn how to protect our health, have healthy relationships, make responsible choices, and respect our own and others’ boundaries.
Open and Respectful Conversations
If you want to have open and respectful conversations about sex and consent, here are a few tips for you!
1. Show empathy and approach without judgement
Different people may have different views on sexuality and relationships to you. This might feel challenging or awkward at times but it’s important to feel safe and respected when sharing each other’s views or experiences.
According to Headspace (LINK EIGHT), you can help create this safe space by keeping relaxed, open minded and curious when talking to others. Then, approach without judgment and ask questions. The discussion will be more successful if you listen, show empathy, and relate to what others are saying.
You can ask them questions like what do they already know about consent? How do they feel about it? What happens at college?
Remember that these conversations will help you feel more confident. The more you educate yourself, the more prepared you’ll be to have informed conversations with others. Ask Student Wellbeing Advisers if you’re unsure about any information or do your own research before trusting an information. You can find trusted health information through official government sites such as Consent, Play Safe, or Health Direct.
2. Use conversation starters
The Consent Campaign offers some conversation starters that you can use! The Australian Government has developed this new campaign on consent to help normalise the topic of consent and encourage people to develop a shared understanding!
Conversation starters about relationships:
- Why is consent important to safe sexual activity and healthy relationships?
- Who is responsible for communicating sexual consent? Does consent need to be confirmed every time?
- Is asking for sexual consent more important in a new relationship than in a committed and long-term relationship?
- Do you need to be in a relationship with someone for consent to be necessary?
- At what point during sex are you meant to ask for consent?
Conversation starters about consent:
- How are you communicating consent, and are there ever situations where it is unspoken?
- Why might someone find it hard to communicate ‘no’?
- Some people think that asking for consent ‘spoils the mood’? Are there some more fun and natural ways to check for consent?
- Does talking about consent make relationships awkward? If so, how can we overcome this?
Here are other interesting topics you can talk about:
- Condoms
- Sex positivity
- Digital dating and online sex
- First-time sex
- Staying safe during oral sex
- Recognising red flags
- Talking to parents, guardians, carers, and doctor about sexual health and relationships
Podcast You Should Listen To
According to United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), data from 25 countries show that 13% of people living
with HIV experienced stigma and discrimination when seeking HIV-related care in 2024. HIV stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people with HIV and discrimination is the behaviors that result from those attitudes or beliefs.
As an organisation that supports people living with HIV to live healthy and connected lives, Ending HIV has curated a small list of LGBT+ podcasts to surround yourself with the voices of the community!
One of them is Nancy, a New York-based podcast hosted by Kathy Tu and Tobin Low, following the lives of LGBT+ people and their stories. One of the episodes highlight two guys from different generations sharing their experiences of living with HIV. You can also try exploring different podcasts available online!
Congrats! You have reached the end of the article!
Now, it’s time to check how you did on your quiz.
Here are the answers:
1. D
It’s important to ask for consent before any type of physical touch, regardless of how small it is. Consent should be clear, enthusiastic, and certain! Learn more about consent here.
2. B
Absolutely false. Unfortunately, condoms don’t last forever. An expired condom is more likely to break during sex, so make sure you always check the expiration date before using.
3. A
Yes, it’s possible to get HIV from unprotected sex with someone who has it. The best way to stay safe is to use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
Resources
