Sexual Health comes to Vanbrugh Paradise

YUSU Welfare and URY’s Summer of Love brought sexual health to Vanbrugh this afternoon Wednesday, 16 May 2012.

There was sexual health advice available throughout the afternoon ©The Yorker; Image credit: Alan Belmore

The event, which had free goodies, competitions and live music, was designed to de-stigmatise sexual health amongst the student population at York.

Bob Hughes, YUSU Welfare Officer, who helped organise the event, told The Yorker that it was proving a success, saying: “lots of people have come down and got themselves tested.

“We really wanted to get people talking and thinking about sexual health, because often it can seem quite medical. The event is nicely tongue-in-cheek and will hopefully get people in an open discussion.”

The event was the largest outdoor sexual health event the university has ever had and featured a stall from the university’s GUM clinic and YorScreen who offered chlamydia testing throughout the afternoon.

The event also featured competitions including a “whack-a-sperm” stand and a chance to win cuddly toys themed after sexually transmitted infections.

It also saw a live performance from student Tor Richards, as well as a guest appearance from ‘Take Me Out’ contestant and URY presenter James Lerouge.

Rob Stonehouse, Station Manager at URY told The Yorker: “We wanted to provide a service to students, so we teamed up with YUSU welfare and put on event like this.

“I really like the nature of the event – it’s out in the open, and hopefully allows people to be more open about sexual health”.

The event was slightly hampered by poor weather, with Hughes admitting that the event was busier in the early afternoon, but it certainly did not dampen the spirits of the organisers.

Vicky Broomhead, a second year mathematics student who attended the event, said: “It’s a really good event, I have really enjoyed it, I am excited by the opportunity to win a giant microbe”.