Issue 158

SU launch safe sex campaign

22nd October 2007

Morgan plans to use an unconventional multimedia approach. Rather than using posters across the campus or an information booth in Fulton House, Morgan will create STI profiles on Facebook and then work overtime to "poke" the majority of the student body posing as Chlamydia, Herpes, HPV, Syphilis, and HIV. Morgan feels this approach will be more effective than the conventional methods, "Hopefully with Facebook we'll be able to see how many friends Chlamydia has added, so we can see how many people have actually read it, and people can leave feedback on the wall."

With STI infection rates at a steady high in University campuses across Britain, Safe Sex campaigns such as this one are vitally important. As for the motivation for this campaign, Morgan says, "Mainly because (STIs are) so prevalent. A lot of people are away from home for the first time and they have a lot of freedom, but with that comes a lot of responsibility. We don't want people going home with these diseases which seriously affect their health."

As a reaction to the rise in STI rates, several surgeries across Britain have begun to offer STI testing. The University Surgery is one of them. "We definitely have the facilities, this campaign is about educating and bringing the information to the people where they are. The surgery here does testing, and so does the GUM clinic in Singleton hospital. People can get condoms from myself or the other Sabbatical officers, and from the Advice Centre as well."

The University has already handed out 10,000 free condoms since the start of term. 5,000 of those were attached to the flyers for the Porn Star Party, and the others handed out in care packages which can also be collected from the Sabbatical officers and the Advice Centre. Morgan is sure the students are getting the message, "I think people are more liberal about it now, and a lot of them are getting tested, but they keep it to themselves."

No related events have been planned as of yet. "I like a subtle approach to this sort of thing," explains Morgan, "and because it is a year long campaign, it can be adapted if people take an interest in it."

Jess Ramthun