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Sex At UKC

As a child born in the eighties, I have been shown education videos about sex in years 6, 7, 9, and 10. These usually involve cartoon cats going at it on a roof with more cut away shots than a soft-core porno, and a family of middle class white Brits who are comfortable running around the house naked together being labelled. This was, in part, to make sure that as a young man I felt comfortable talking about the complicated issues and changes that I was growing through, it also meant that my teachers and parents could avoid talking about sex at all possible ends.

Asked to do an article on the student’s attitudes towards all things sexual at UKC I hit the campus – Here are a few choice responses:

On Medical Services

“Well when I first arrived at Kent I went practically straight to the medical centre to sign up. I took my Mum in because I didn’t have a clue what our family medical history was. Unfortunately the nurse didn’t seem that concerned with the history, instead choosing to ask me outright, in front of my mum, ‘have you had sex?’ And ‘what contraceptive do you use?’ Well I answered the truth; yes and condoms, whilst my deeply Catholic mother sat, jilted next to me.” – Emma Wolfe, UKC graduate

On It

“I would say that the university focuses more of its efforts on providing the arena for potential sexual encounter with a mind to generating profit than on dealing with the inevitable consequences of the frisky teenagers and their untreated rashes. My two main contentions are the lack of a sexual health clinic on campus and the fact that abortions are prevented from being performed in Canterbury because of its Christian significance. At a university that openly embraces the desires of its student population, catering for them with nights like ‘Flirt’ and the ‘Traffic Lights’ night (where you are encouraged to dress in a colour supposed to display whether you are available or less so), it would be reasonable to expect a decent level of sexual services.” – Marc Sowic, Third Year Student

On Body Image

“The whole idea that there could possibly be an ‘ideal’ state of beauty is completely ridiculous. The conception of beauty is a wholly subjective thing, every single person will be thought of as beautiful by somebody else in their lifetime, and every woman lauded by the western media as ‘the most beautiful woman alive’ will be viewed indifferently by millions.

First of all the weight issues – The whole ‘heroin chic’ fashion movement of the early 90s propelled this frankly dangerous trend to the point that now the only women ever promoted in fashion magazines, runwayshows, and (worst of all) advertising, are of a size that only the smallest proportion of women could ever successfully maintain without loosing the ability to function naturally. Many models, and young women who suffer from anorexia stop menstruating and loose the ability to conceive due to their unhealthy body mass. (Oh god I hope this doesnt imply that all women is good for is conception).

The other huge problem with western beauty ideals is that the image they promote is almost always caucasion. Blacks, hispanics, asians, and all other ethnic groups, are so severly underrepresented in the worlds of fashion, films and televsion, that young women who are not snowy white can have very limited examples of beauty that resemble them even slightly. It is not uncommon for black women that are often in the public eye to be airbrushed constantly in mainstream magazines to appear whiter. The exact same can be said of women’s weight.” – Abigail Haidemenos, Third year student

On Balls

“I always used to see a lot of posters around college telling boys to check their testicles for any strange lumps once a month. I worry sometimes I might be missing something because I’m trying to check two strange lumps, suspended in a strange lump, decorated by a hundred strange lumps to see if there are any strange lumps. Is any of this equipment meant to be normal? I could have something and have no idea what my genitalia are actually meant to look like.” Anonymous Student

If we were a little more secure about sex maybe mating rituals would be a little more paletable. Plus-size modelling, and positive body image programs are a step in the right direction. As for sexual services in Canterbury, Chlamydia screening is available on campus. If you have any sexually related concerns don’t hesitate to contact the campus nurse in Keynes College. If they can’t help you there they’ll direct you to someone who can. The availability of information on sex and sexual services in our society is at an all time high. This is a good thing if, like me, you think that sex is a dangerous material to sweep under the carpet, like asbestos.

Comments

• As a mature student, I find that the whole sexual scene as something that is mainly for the younger students. That is because it seems to me that the lasses find a man in his early 30’s unattractive due to his age. Which I have found odd because how many other students have gross misconceptions of my age, ranging from 18-25, but never my true age.

  By Anonymous on 5.6.2023

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• Interesting read! The student quotes are good but sadly some of their information is out of date – I’m pleased to say that after years of lobbying by Kent Union the Medical Centre has re-introduced full sexual health testing. They call it ‘The Mercury Clinic’ (you’d have to ask them why!) and details can be found online here – http://www.kent.ac.uk/medical/mercuryclinic/ 🙂

  By Samantha Kennedy, Vice-President (Welfare) on 31.3.2023

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