Oral sex 101

Amidst awkward giggles and uneasy blushing, oral sex was taught on Wednesday night in the lower level of the University Center. The class was one of the events sponsored by the Sexual Assault Free Environment (SAFE) committee in preparation for spring break. SAFE worked in conjunction with the Women's Resource Center, the University Program Council, the University of Northern Colorado Police Department, the Center for Peer Education and other campus organizations to make this event possible. One goal of the program was to educate students about another aspect of sex, especially one that is prevalent on college campuses. The SAFE committee, which is comprised of students, faculty and various campus organizations, decided to host a program about oral sex in response to criticism that this topic is often ignored. "I think we deal with the reality that sex is happening," Deana Davies, the Assault Survivors Advocacy Program (ASAP) coordinator, said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 19 million new STDs are transmitted every year, with almost half of those among young people between the ages of 15 to 24. This is partly the reason SAFE was so adamant about organizing this program. All aspects of the program were student run, which was intended to put the participants at ease. The workshop began with an exercise to clarify that consent is absolutely essential when engaging in any sort of sexual activity. "You need to set your boundaries with your partner," Amanda Wentz, a junior English and sociology major, said. "Don't push yourself more than you're willing to go." Wentz then gave an interactive presentation about how to perform oral sex on a man. Participants were able to practice putting condoms on the provided bananas using both their hands and their mouths. Techniques about different methods of giving oral sex were also shared. "A lot of women who are performing oral sex will use their breasts. It's really good to give variety," Wentz said. The second portion of the workshop focused on how to perform oral sex on women. Participants were able to follow along with the demonstration using peach halves and dental dams. Students' reaction to the program was varied. "It was not educational," Pierce-Julien Culley, a sophomore French major, said. "I did not feel I could trust the source it was coming from because it was not coming from a reliable medical professional." Other students, however, felt differently about the program. "I decided that it was a good time for me to pick up some extra skills," Jackie Johnson, a sophomore molecular and cell biology major, said.