By Jamie Sapp | Layout EditorInviting students into a fun, educational experience about healthy sex and relationships, the Student Wellness Council (SWC) hosts its “Lube Tasting & Self Love” session on Feb. 10 at noon in the JSAC’s Hardy Meeting Room.What was just a small group of students expanded into a group of about 40 students in the room.As students enter the JSAC Hardy Meeting Room, long tables were set around. Some brochures were available, which discussed relationships, safe sex and the usage of lubricants (or lubes) and condoms. Lubricants and dental dam as well as female and male condoms were also available.At a nearby counter, there were miniature plastic cups filled with various flavored lubes, wooden Popsicle sticks, bottles of water and some various cookies.Student Wellness Council Adviser Leslie Dickerson gave a demonstration of using a condom properly, talked about the importance of using condoms and lubes in sexual activity and gave interesting facts about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).When students are going into the dating scene or in relationships, adviser Leslie Dickerson said it is very important to use condoms.“It’s important that you use a condom because your demographic (college students ages 18 to 24) have one of the highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea,” she said. “Syphilis is climbing. HIV is coming back with a vengeance.”
Dickerson said that there is no way to tell by looking at someone with their clothes on whether or not they have chlamydia.The usage of lubricants (or lubes) was the next topic of discussion. For lubes, adviser Dickerson said good lubrication is important in some instances.“And the reason we’re doing this today is that when you do have an instance where you might need lubrication, we want you to make sure that you’re using the right kind,” she said. “Whether it is a silicone-based lubricant or a water-based lubricant, as long as it is used and made specifically for personal use, then you’re doing good.”Dickerson said that she does not want students to not use the right lubrication and instead use a pinch of canola oil or peanut oil. She also said that using the wrong lubes or lubricating products can hurt the integrity of the condom as well as increase the level of breakage for the condom.
Lube tasting and some trivia followed the discussion. Among many of the students, fruit-flavored lubes were favored over mint and chocolate-flavored lubes.Strawberry kiwi, pomegranate and banana were also among the most popular flavored lubes for many of the students who attended.Members of the SWC not only gave a fun moment of learning safe sex and lube tasting, but they also gave a serious note on self-love, domestic violence, abuse and toxic relationships. Three different short videos were presented to the crowd at the information session while discussing self-love, abuse and toxic relationships.In recognition of these topics, students were able to discuss with each other some factors as well as some ways individuals could handle situations dealing with those issues.The short film “Smoke” brought awareness of domestic violence within a lesbian couple’s relationship. Factors creating the toxic relationship were recognized by the students.Wellness Ambassador and Secretary of the SWC Blessing Eka said self-love is really important.“I feel like self-love is really, really important, especially in a relationship, because it’s vital to love yourself first before you can love somebody else or your partner,” Eka said. “It’s important to know who you are… I think is so important.”Blessing Eka said that the short film “Smoke” was a good representation of domestic violence.The “How To Love Yourself” video included a woman speaking about the challenges and importance of loving one’s self, especially when there are people around that may not do so. The final video, “Stop The Signs,” recognized the signs of toxic relationships using the scenario of both a straight couple and a lesbian couple together at a house party.The three videos also explained why self-love matters and why individuals need it before they can enter into any form of relationship. Students are encouraged to get help from the Student Health Center as well as the Counseling Center at Augusta University.Secretary Blessing Eka of SWC said lube tasting was something new for the students because it is not heard of on campus.“So I thought it would be like cool for students to know what kinds (of lubes), the importance of lubricants and the importance of safe sex,” Eka said. “Student Wellness Council is not telling students not to have sex and be abstinent. It’s just telling students to just be safe, if you start to indulge in those particular things.”Contact Jamie Sapp at: jsapp270@gru.edu.