5 ways you can get involved with SEXtember

Talking about sex in real-life is part of our everyday here at Play Safe. For a lot of people though, especially those new to or experimenting with their sexuality, this topic of conversation isn’t always a comfortable or confident one. 

That’s what we’re trying to change. 

We want to help young people in NSW take charge of their sexual health by understanding as much as they can about STIs and knowing when and where to get tested. Risks of STIs, unplanned pregnancy or a bad sexual experience are greatly reduced when we feel confident having conversations around protection, consent and contraception before, during and after sex. So how do we build that confidence? We have these conversations with experts and peers to gather as much knowledge as possible around sex itself and our relationship with it. 

What exactly IS SEXtember?

SEXtember is celebrated by a variety of institutions and groups in different ways and is commonly defined as:

“A festival of celebrating, questioning and exploring every aspect of sexual health.”  

There are so many free events across NSW throughout the month so be sure to Google SEXtember to find an event near you! Based in Sydney? UNSW hosts their SEXtember event over a couple of weeks in September and gives students (and non-students) the opportunity to register for a bunch of free educational and inspirational talks and presentations all about sexual health. How cool is that?! 

5 ways you can get involved with SEXtember

While there are many ways you can get involved with the UNSW event,  it’s not the only way. 

1. The Forum

Our Forum is a safe space to chat with peers about sexual health. It’s a great community and a great place to chat online with like-minded individuals or ask any questions you have about sex and sexual health.  You can even tag Nurse Nettie if you’d like an expert to weigh-in on the topic.

2. Chat to Nurse Nettie

Did you know that Nurse Nettie is available to respond to any specific concerns or questions about your sexual health? You can start your chat online or if you’d rather have a real-life conversation, Nurse Nettie is reachable via phone on 1800 451 624 between 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.

3. Practice having uncomfortable conversations

Sex is meant to be enjoyable. But it probably won’t be if you are stressing out about catching an STI. You may think that as long as everything looks ok ‘down there’, your sexual partner probably doesn’t have anything contagious. This however, couldn’t be further from the truth. STIs are much more common than you probably think and a lot of them don’t even have symptoms. 

SEXtember is a great time to get comfortable having safe sex conversations with your sexual partners. Of course it’s great to talk about what you enjoy during sex and that’s perhaps a good way to get the conversation started, but it’s more important to decide on your form of contraception and STI protection and make sure consent is clearly established.

4. Learn about condoms

If you aren’t able to attend any of the official SEXtember-related seminars or talks, you can educate yourself and your peers just by getting together and using some of our online resources. 

When it comes to safe sex, a great topic to begin with is the condom. Learn everything there is to know about it, so you can share that knowledge with friends or future partners and they too can understand why using one is just so important. Here are a few of our informative blogs on this topic: 

• Condoms: Get the facts
• The do’s and don’ts of condoms
• What to do if you’re allergic to condoms
• When can you stop using condoms with a partner? 
• How to talk about condoms

5. Get tested!

Did you know that many STIs don’t have symptoms? All the more reason to stay on top of your regular STI checks. And, with that in mind, what better way to celebrate SEXtember than to get a routing STI test? We recommend regular testing (every 6-12 months) or whenever you change sexual partners. It’s all part of a enjoying a healthy and confident sex life. It’s also free, confidential and easily accessible. 

Find out more about how and where to get tested, today. 

No matter how you choose to be involved in SEXtember this year, it’s a great time to draw focus to sexual health for yourself and your peers. Maybe it reminds you that you’re due for an STI test or perhaps it’s an opportunity to learn something new — either way, the main takeaway is that as long as we’re all having these conversations, seeking out advice and education then we’re taking charge of our sexual health. 

SEXtember x UNSW 2022 

UNSW’s annual sexual health festival is back for 2022, and it’s time we talk about the kind of sex life you deserve…UNSW say it best, this is what SEXtember is all about. 

This year (as always), their lineup doesn’t disappoint. From 19th-30th of September, participants will be able to register for any of the below events: 

• Sex; everything they never taught you
• SEXtember comedy night
• SEXtember trivia night
• Ask me anything; sexual edition 

And that’s really just the beginning. If this tickles your tip, head over to the UNSW site to sign-up for anything and everything. 

Do you have questions about sexual health? Why not join the conversation on the Play Safe sex and relationship forum or ask Nurse Nettie a question. If you would like to find out more about STI testing and STI treatment in Sydney and NSW, you’ll find all the information you need here.