Student Health Services hosts annual festival to inform students about safe sex

With beer goggles inhibiting their sight, Cal State Long Beach students were challenged to do the impossible: roll condoms over an assortment of colorful dildos of varying sizes.

The sixth annual Sextival offered games like this to help students understand the importance of practicing safe sex.

Booths containing condoms, candy, and pamphlets lined the Speaker’s Platform during the event on Wednesday.

The sex-positive carnival, Sextival, gave students a chance to grab educational material and learn about alternative methods of birth control, as well as ways for students to have healthy and consensual sex, with various organizations ready to answer questions about sexual health.

“The purpose of [the Sextival] is to bring awareness. This is a sex-positive event, a lot of times there is so much stigma and negativity associated with sex and sexual health,” said Christina Goldpaint, Sextival coordinator and Student Health Center health educator. “We wanted to bring awareness to the positive side [of sex] and make it aware to students that the Student Health Services is a safe place to come and talk about your sexual health.”

Other booths were set up by various organizations including Body Positive @ the Beach, which teaches people how to overcome conflicts with their bodies.

According to their flyer, the body positive movement helps participants lead happier, more productive lives through weekly sessions offered on campus.

A new organization in Long Beach, the Aids Project Los Angeles Health wanted students to know the full services offered, including medical and dental care and counseling services, regardless of income and legal status.

“I think we should break the stigma of making people feel ashamed to talk about [sex] because it doesn’t do anything besides make people keep quiet but they’re still putting themselves at risk for STDs,” said Tara O’Gorman, junior art major.

Attendees were shown how to properly place male and female condoms to ensure the safety of both parties during sex. Participants were also given complimentary goodie bags that included male and female condoms, lubricants, sunglasses and contraception pamphlets.

Other topics of discussion included the variety of contraceptive options separate from birth control pills and condoms that are available for women such as the Nuva Ring, the Patch and Depo-Provera.

“Sex can be done in a positive way,” said Caitlan Freitas, a senior health science major and health services volunteer. “Safe sex is the best thing you can do but it can also be a comfortable topic to talk about. We talk about proper condom application, different forms of birth control and all options [to practice safe sex].”

Other activities included a spin wheel where the participant was either asked a question or given a quick fact and do it yourself pins where they finished the sentence “I think it’s sexy when…”

“I was really excited to come by and see [the Sextival] because I thought it was cool to have such a positive, welcoming environment that’s accepting of students’ sex lives and doesn’t make people feel ashamed,” O’gorman said.

Goldpaint said she feels more students are becoming aware of the services they offer thanks to the event.

“We want to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to get factual, accurate information to protect themselves,” Goldpaint said.