Proper knowledge of consent, as well as proper sexual education and where to go to find information on both subjects, is not always accessible for college students. A group discussion, called “Evolution of Sex”, on Wednesday allowed students to be educated on the whole sexual spectrum.
Stonewall Tigers, the gender and sexuality alliance at the University of Memphis, and Safety Net, a student-led group that assists sexual assault victims and allies, partnered to bring both resources to students at the discussion. Representatives from Planned Parenthood and CHOICES, a non-profit organization that provides medical help and assistance, steered the conversation and presented on topics like contraception, birth options and reproductive health.
Courtney Harrough, founder of Safety Net, said although there is sexual health information available for students at the Campus Health Center, there are not enough regular workshops on safe sex and consent as well as administrators who can provide all information a student might need.
“We at Safety Net believe that there are not a lot of active sexual health classes and workshops being offered, and the resources that are available are a little sparse,” Harrough said.
A representative from CHOICES opened the discussion by providing a list of all the services their organization offers, such as hormone replacement therapy and doula services for people interested in home births. CHOICES is also one of the first clinics to have abortion services and midwife care in the Mid-South.
The conversation centered mainly about women’s health, but not exclusively. Iris Mercado, the director of training from Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region, talked about the high rate of sexually transmitted infections present not only in Tennessee but in the Shelby County area alone.
Shelby County has the highest chlamydia and gonorrhea rate in the country, according to the Shelby County Department of Health, and the HIV rate is also on the rise. The chlamydia rate in the Shelby County area is 1,053 per 100,000 people, and for gonorrhea, the rate is 390 per 100,000 people.
Due to the rise in sexually transmitted infections in the Mid-South, Mercado said Planned Parenthood has started an initiative around getting teens and young adults tested to start prevention now. Planned Parenthood offers PrEP, a contraceptive that prevents exposure to HIV in the form of a pill for someone who thinks they might have been exposed to HIV for low prices or even for free for individuals who cannot cover the expenses at all.
The discussion ended with a consent game where students were given different scenarios and, based on the information provided, had to determine if consent was given as well as explaining why they felt it was or was not.
Kyra Tidwell, a 21-year-old journalism major, said events such as “Evolution of Sex” make her hopeful for the direction campus is moving because there was an open conversation held about sex, consent and what it looks like on all sides.
“Going forward, there should be more events like this,” Tidwell said. “They should be more promoted because this was a deep, detailed conversation.”
The three speakers for the Evolution of Sex meeting were answering questions from the audience. The meeting had these ladies come and speak both about the company Choices, and Planned Parenthood.
