Earlier this month, Health, Wellness & Accessibility Services (HWAS), in partnership with the Niagara College Student Administrative Council (NCSAC) and Niagara Region Public Health, hosted Candy, Cupid & Condoms, an event focused on promoting sexual health for students in residence.
Students were able to speak to representatives from HWAS, Niagara Region Public Health and NC’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Office (SRRO) about consent, sexual health, STI testing and treatments and preventative measures.
Participants were also able to test their sexual health knowledge by playing HWAS’s Sexual Health Jeopardy and SRRO’s Spin to Win, where students would spin a wheel to determine which question they would be asked to win a prize. Questions were focused on consent, including “what would you do” scenario questions.
“Candy, Cupid & Condoms was a fun, informal way for students to learn about protecting their sexual health while becoming familiar with the services available to them through HWAS and Public Health,” said Christine Philbrick, College Nurse. “For many students, this is the first time they have been away from home, and we want them to feel empowered to make smart decisions when it comes to sex.”
“The topic of sex and sexual health is often seen as taboo,” said Chrissy Diadamo, Health Promoter – Sexual Health, NRPH. “This event encourages students to feel confident when navigating these topics by starting the dialogue and by letting them know what services are available to them on campus and in the community.”
Pizza and prizes were provided by NCSAC.
Student Resources:
Health, Wellness & Accessibility Services: provides counselling and Sexual health services including, birth control, STIs information, testing and treatment and pregnancy testing.
Student Rights & Responsibilities (Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator): helps students in need of support, reporting options, information on decision making processes, and resources/referrals.
Niagara Region Public Health – Sexual Health: provides free STI testing and sexual health information.
