Sex Yeah! STD Risk Reduction Workshop Teaches on Safe Sex Practices
The workshop begins with a more open theme and message: sex is life changing, and with that much power comes great responsibility. The Santa Monica College Student Health Services Center helped organize Sex Yeah! STD Risk Reduction, an LGBT inclusive workshop, held in SMC's main campus at the Math Complex building room 5 last Thursday, March 1 in Santa Monica, California.
At the front of the class were the two speakers for the event, Carina Dominguez, and Alma DeJesus. Both work within the community to educate students 12 years and older on different ways of protecting your body from risky situations when practicing sex. They explained that two big threats to your body have seen a sudden rise in this generation of teenagers; chlamydia and gonorrhea are basically symptomless and difficult to detect. They cite current studies stating that about one in four teenagers is diagnosed with one or both of these sexually transmitted infections.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. With many other bacterial and even viral infections roaming around undetected, Dominguez and DeJesus say they are working towards making sex education more accessible to students by informing and helping those who are want to learn more about these topics.
One of the attendees, Abby Torres, 22, agreed with them, saying she was “shocked it was that informational.” She found the presentation convenient and “easier than having to read about it on your own.”
Dominguez and DeJesus went onto talk about more than just STIs, they also touched on subjects like having to deal with the many different birth control methods that are available to women.
These two women are based just across the street from Santa Monica College’s main campus, at the Westside Family Health Center located on 1711 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, California.