As Valentine’s Day rounds the corner, the University of Pittsburgh and other groups at Pitt have scheduled themed programming. Some of these programs include bouquet making and a chocolate fountain in the Eatery, but other, more controversial programs center around sex. A collaboration between AQUARIUS, Autonomous Body Shop and SECCS hosted a presentation on kink, fetish and safe sex practices with goodie bags on Feb. 5. The residential staff of Tower B has presented “Tower B Sexy,” an opportunity for different Pitt organizations to table and distribute resources like condoms, Plan B and informational pamphlets along with prizes and games, for years.
A newer event that stirred up discourse is Pitt Program Council’s Sex Toy Bingo, happening Feb. 11. Usually, posts on Pitt Program Council’s Instagram only get a couple of comments. Their announcement for Sex Toy Bingo currently has 206. While some of the feedback is positive, many commenters poke fun at the event by jokingly tagging their friends. Other comments, however, are critical, with GIFs saying things like, “do we deserve destruction,” “he made a statement so trash even his gang clowned him” and, “what are they doing.” One comment with 84 likes laments, “no drinking on my frat porch, but a freshman dildo fest is good,” while another with 30 likes quips, “free sex toys and condoms but I have to pay for laundry.”
While many of these comments could be rooted in anti-sex ideology, more seem intent on criticizing Pitt’s priorities. Students gripe about their tuition going to events like these rather than free laundry, but they fail to understand just how vital programs and partnerships with organizations like these can be. Sex Toy Bingo will be hosted in collaboration with Pitt’s Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and Education, Prevention at Pitt. Functions like this are not just some odd way to sexually please students or encourage hedonism, but important events to distribute resources in a fun, digestible way.
Education and resources are not just important as a supplemental benefit, but as a vital line of defense against the staggering sexual assault statistics for undergraduate students. 26.4% of female undergraduate students experience sexual assault involving physical force, violence or incapacitation. Women ages 18-24 are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Male college students ages 18-24 are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault. Four out of five female students do not report the sexual violence they experience to law enforcement.
College students are also at a greater risk for sexually transmitted infections. As of 2018, almost half of the new STI cases reported each year are among people between the ages of 15 and 24. Human papillomavirus is the most common STI on college campuses, with chlamydia coming in second. Herpes is the third most common STI for undergraduates, and almost 20% of students have the virus. Condoms and dental dams are an important resource to stop the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Simply being on birth control will not protect you.
It is of utmost importance that Pitt continues to fund organizations and programs devoted to sexual health and safety, not only to reduce the frequency of sexual assaults on campus, but to slow the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Dismissing these events does nothing but increase the risk that funding for these vital efforts could disappear. If you’re upset you have to pay for laundry, find something else the University spends money on to complain about instead.
The Pitt News editorial is a weekly article written by the opinion editors in collaboration with other desk editors. It reflects the collective opinion of the current Pitt News editorial staff.