Why You Being Weird to Me; SU Tackles Sex Education

While HBCU culture is unique and different from most other universities around the country, there are certain experiences and aspects of education that are universal. For college campuses around the world, sex education is one such area of focus, and with Southern being located in one of the STD capitals of the country, one can argue that it’s a necessity.
As part of the university’s Greek Week lineup of events, Southern University partnered with Project P.E.E.R. to help inform students about the proper precautions to take while sexually active. This event consisted of information presented by Project P.E.E.R. as a visual slideshow, but was also heavily reliant on student participation and involvement. According to their website, Project P.E.E.R. is a collaborative group between Southern University and the University of Iowa for HIV and Substance Use Prevention.
“It was informative. I think that it’s important to have open dialogues about safe sex, especially with all the young adults [on campus],” said Joshua Simmons, a sophomore math major from Houma, Louisiana.
Taking place in James Lee Hall in room 102, the seminar shared general information such as why condoms are important, what to do when presented with STD scares, and fiction versus fact when it comes to how pregnancy occurs. While such information is likely touched on to some degree in high school, Project P.E.E.R. noted how important it was to reinforce the answers to Frequently Asked Questions as freshmen make the adjustment to college.
“I liked that they let us ask questions. I feel like a lot of people are scared to have those conversations [about sex] in a serious context, and this got alot of people out of their comfort zone,” said Zack Jones, a freshman psychology major from Jackson, Mississippi.
Brittany McBride, associate director of sex education at youth sexual health and rights non-profit Advocates for Youth noted how due to the pandemic, sexual activity has become a more rampant conversational topic among young people. McBride attributes the high stress environment that the pandemic has posed as a primary cause to this rise in sexual activity among young people .
“What’s the first thing anyone can think of to make themselves feel better?” McBride asked when speaking about anxious students. “Maybe it’s checking out some porn. Maybe it’s exploring your body or meeting up with someone and doing that.” This rise in sexual activity among young people has led professionals in the field, such as McBride, to acknowledge the increasing need for sexual education at the university level.
Along with conversations about sexual safety, P.E.E.R. also relayed information regarding drug usage and the Do’s & Don’t that are associated with them from a college student perspective. While responsible marijuana usage was one area of conversation, the emphasis on the dangers posed by opioids and other prescribed medicines dominated the conversation on drugs.
While many college students would claim to be responsible and aware of how to properly protect themselves in all of the situations mentioned in the seminar, the reality is that Baton Rouge is ranked as highly as it is in relation to STDs because of a disregard to the aforementioned information in many cases. This isn’t to say that every situation related to sex and drug education can be cured with a seminar, but it never hurts to reiterate knowledge that could potentially protect someone’s health or save someone’s life.