lets talk about sex!

One of my classmates whose handle is “whatamidoing” has previously posted about the ‘Sex in the dark’ JMU panhellenic organization event but I also went (for the second time) and found it to be extremely moving and powerful, so i wanted to come on here and advocate my feelings.

For me, growing up, the “Sex talk” or may also be known as “the birds and the bees” was not something me and my family ever talked about. I learned everything that I knew going into college from my two older sisters and within high-school and middle-school health classes, but obviously those do not cover everything I need to know, but I never had a safe place to ask questions and learn so i just stayed clueless.

I went to the ‘Sex in the Dark’ event last year and this year and have absolutely loved it both times! So what you’re probably thinking is, so what is this event about? Sex? Basically when you get there, the room is full of students, boys and girls and then there are two speakers at the front of the room with microphones. It really reminds me of the well known podcast “Call her daddy” by Alex Cooper or “Hot Mess” by Alix Earle. As soon as you enter the room you feel a sense of welcomeness, everyone is so kind and asking questions. And for once, there is absolutely no sense of TMI.

My first time going last year was a major culture shock for me because like i said before, the topics that were discussed were always drilled in my brain as a kid that it was personal and not to be discussed with strangers, but the speakers and students were so open and ready to learn and just talk. It felt nice to be in such a welcoming and opening environment. The speakers made sure us students really grasped the fact that sex is completely normal and a natural aspect of life. They made sure we knew that nobody should feel bad for having sex but that it is also completely ok and not weird if you don’t want to do it either! These are our bodies! The speakers also talked about how to have sex in a safe way, they teach you about the protection aspect of safe sex which is obviously extremely beneficial for anyone who is participating in safe sex (especially being in college).

The best part of this event, for me atleast, was the way the speakers handled the discussions. For example, there would be times where a student would giggle at themselves out of nervousness while they are asking a question, and the speaker completely answered the question despite what it was and made sure the student felt comfortable and heard. 

I feel that my generation especially was raised to keep these conversations to ourselves, and to think this stuff is “TMI” but it’s not, it needs to be talked about and events like the ‘Sex in the Dark’ provide students with the information that we were never provided with before. Both times after leaving this event me and my friends left with the biggest smiles on our face and felt like we understood so much more about our bodies and how to enjoy and protect them while doing natural human things! This event is something my sorority even advocates to go to since it is such a powerful place to be!

 Events like these are what we need in the world to truly break the stigma, end the “TMI” and come together as a community, so, let’s talk about sex!

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