Sex Week was all this week and still continues Thursday and Friday. Nicole Collins, Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educator member and director of Sex Week, has worked on Sex Week since her freshman year, and the Weinberg senior gave The Current her views on Sex Week.
What is your role during Sex Week?
Head Bitch in Charge, baby! Haha just kidding. I´m the director of Sex Week, so the student leader for it.
How did your position in SHAPE affect your decision to be involved with Sex Week?
The other way around, actually! I joined Sex Week my freshman year and SHAPE my junior year. SHAPE has gotten a lot more prevalent in the four years I’ve been here, and I really wanted to expand my repertoire of sex and sexuality extracurriculars and hop on board to something awesome.
What is the “must-see” event during Sex Week? Or your favorite?
Oh man, they’re all awesome! If I had to choose, the screening of my favorite movie ever, Capturing the Friedmans, followed by a discussion with Jesse Friedman himself. The documentary is poignant and troubling, and Jesse is one of the nicest, most thoughtful people ever. Also, the coffeehouse on Saturday is going to rock because there will be free whoopie pies.
What is the most common sex-related question you have received?
I’ve fielded a surprising number of questions about what makes you pregnant. So, for the record, yes , you can get pregnant your first time. Yes, you can get pregnant if you wear a condom. Yes, you can get pregnant if you wear two condoms (it´s more likely because of friction). Yes, you can get pregnant on your period. No, you can´t get pregnant from sexting, unless you are sexting while being penetrated by a penis.
How many condoms per year does SHAPE give out? How many do you think are distributed during Sex Week?
SHAPE gives out thousands and thousands. Sex Week gives out 2,000 each year, along with lots of lube and fun toys for shared or private pleasure.
What do you hope the message is to students as a result of Sex Week? What do you want them to take away from it?
I’ve had people come up to me and be like ‘I had sex four times this week in honor of Sex Week!’ I mean, that’s nice and everything, but the real point is to start a healthy conversation about sex and sexuality by universalizing the things that most people don’t feel comfortable frankly discussing. The goal of an open, educational dialogue is pretty simple, and leaves plenty of freedom to host a bevy of events.
