In an effort to decrease stigmas and educate students about the connection between sexual violence and drug use, the Student Health Center is hosting Sex, Drugs & Roll.
Sex, Drugs & Roll is an outreach event in the form of a game where students can roll the dice, land a specific letter and answer a true or false question regarding drugs, sex or a combination of both, said Allison Barton, health educator.
“There’s lots of good questions and it’s really fun when a whole group of people come up,” said Barton. “[Students participating] hear everybody else’s questions and get into this little debate about [the topic] and help each other out to answer [the questions], which I think is awesome.”
Being one of the Student Health Center’s biweekly outreach events, the objectives of Sex, Drugs & Roll are stressing the importance of the “Yes Means Yes” law, title IX and ensuring students that there is a place to report bad behavior and seek help, said Barton.
“It used to be ‘no means no’ and so people thought, ‘if they don’t say no, that means yes,’ but not saying no could mean that they’re passed out or drunk,” said Barton. “So you can see that the connection and interaction between drugs and sex is really a big deal, especially in the college-aged population.”
Sex, Drugs & Roll, running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fountain Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, is also an effort to inform students about the services offered at the Student Health Center. Some of these services include birth control planning, which 99 percent of the student population qualify for for free, six free session per semester of psychological counseling, and diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, said Barton.
“Some people are a little bit embarrassed, but part of what we are doing here is decreasing stigmas,” said Barton. “It doesn’t embarrass me at all. I’d rather talk about that than talk about what happens if you don’t. Prevention is the key, that’s the whole point of health education.”
Can you answer some of Barton’s questions from Sex, Drugs & Roll?
True or false? Using drugs to relive stress is an effective method.
False. For a brief amount of time, it may be a form of escape. However, over an extended period of time, it becomes a vicious cycle, said Barton.
True or false? You can change your mind and stop at any time during sex and say that you don’t want to continue.
True. However, most people think that is not true, said Barton.
True or false? When in a romantic relationship, one can assume his or her partner’s consent every time in the future.
False. Just because you’re together does not mean that your partner can have sex with you anytime they want, said Barton. Even when you’re married, the respect doesn’t stop when there’s a ring on the finger, that’s when it’s even more important, said Barton.
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