Just days after the official start of spring, the Davis Center’s first-floor lounge outside of Living Well was blooming with color, people, and excitement. Rows of tables lined the space, covered with engaging displays and brightly hued literature. It had arrived: The first-ever annual SEXPO.
Advertisements for the event featured illustrated vibrators or an anthropomorphized clitoris named Chloe. The main pull was a sex toy raffle. And yet, upon arrival visitors were greeted by friendly—often familiar—faces of UVM staff, representatives from Vermont organizations, and a wide variety of activities to engage in. The raffle was brimming with books and tools for more educated and thoughtful intimate experiences. The energy in the room was—dare we say it—exciting.
Where this all started
Throughout the mid-2010s, UVM hosted Get Yourself Tested events each semester, part of the CDC initiative and campaign encouraging young people to get tested for STIs and HIV. In 2018 and 2019, Jenna Emerson, the newly hired Health and Sexuality Educator in CHWB, began expanding GYT and increased outreach education about other sexual health topics, including trans health care, pelvic floor physical therapy, STI prevention, sexual health advocacy, and pleasure.
“While STI prevention and testing is extremely important to college students, so are other sexual health topics that are not typically covered in high school” says Emerson. These topics include consent, substance use, body image, pleasure, LGBTQ+ identity, and more. Understanding this deficit, Emerson and the CHWB team planned the first sexual health fair for April 2020. And then...COVID hit.
Now, three years later, Emerson decided 2023 was the year to bring the fair back. Following the same blueprint from 2020, this year’s Sexpo centered STI testing and confidential medical consultations about birth control, trans health, and more offered by UVM's Student Health Services, and HIV testing from Vermont Cares. As Emerson states, the event was created to “provide students with resources and tools to take charge of their sexual health.”
A Community Partnership
An intentional focus of this year’s fair was on community building—and with that a holistic approach to sexual health. Residential Life’s Arts and Creativity community created and gave out a custom block print and hosted an interactive fingerpainting activity to demonstrate the impact and importance of consent and sexual respect. Mike Hill Jr. from the Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Drugs (ACOD) team spoke with attendees on the intersection of substance use and sexuality, and Annie Valentine, CHWB’s Education and Training manager, led a conversation about the impact of positive body image and sexual health. Students showed a distinct appreciation for these conversations, Emerson added.
Dr. Elliot Ruggles, UVM’s sexual violence prevention and education coordinator, offered attendees an activity to imagine their ideal sexual relationships and explore the topic of consent during intimate encounters. “I think that people are looking for fun ways to engage around these topics and they don’t always have to be scary, awkward, or hard,” Ruggles explained about the activity. “Just giving people the opportunity to talk about these things more and in the open in an environment like this is a great place to start.”
Several Vermont organizations were also in attendance, including Vermont Pride Center, Planned Parenthood of Northern Vermont, and Catamount Physical Therapy. In the Living Well Studio, local shop Earth + Salt showcased and sold some of its more popular items. All exhibitors met with students face to face, sharing information and providing that human connection lost from the pandemic. The intention, Emerson explained, is to show UVM students what resources and support is available to them beyond UVM. “This is community-building at its finest,” she explains. “I hope that our shame-free and sex-positive approach encourages students to talk about sex and sexuality more openly and to advocate for their sexual health with partners and medical providers,” explains Emerson. “I want students to know that they are not alone and that they are worthy of pleasurable and safe sexual experiences.”
Terrell Moody, the new Associate Director for Education and Outreach in CHWB, agrees. "An event like our inaugural SEXPO is aligned with the values in Our Common Ground and our desire to be a space where students can also grow and learn outside of the classroom," she shared while staffing the raffle table, greeting excited attendees. "Sexuality is core to the human experience and when we can provide a safe (and fun!) way to educate, engage and connect with UVM’s wellbeing staff and trusted community partners to talk about it, it’s an absolute win for everyone.”
Want to learn more about upcoming engagement opportunities and events like this? Visit the Living Well page on UVM Bored or email health@uvm.edu.