Why didn't these institutionally sponsored weeks happen when I was in school?
Harvard apparently is not all work and no play, at least for one week in November. Thanks to erotic toy maker CalExotics, a recent survey was conducted on the Harvard campus about fetishes.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they have a sexual fetish or believe they have a sexual fetish. Since college is about experimenting, it may be no shock that 53 percent stated they have brought up in conversation with their partner a fetish they find interesting. The survey asked questions about past and present happenings and future fetish possibilities. When compared side-by-side with a list of existing fetishes, the ones students found most interesting were humiliation and power.
The survey wasn't a free-for-all on the commons, but instead results were gathered during "Fetishes A-Z," a course taught by CalExotics' resident sexologist, Dr. Jill McDevitt.
As for the results? Let's see how these students pass their time when not hitting the books.
Attitudes Toward Fetishes
- 18% thought fetishes were "kinda weird"
- 22% responded “yes please”
- 40% acknowledged being intrigued.
- 43% have fetishes or believe that they do
- 45% said that a partner has expressed interest in a specific fetish
Some of the top kinks:
- Favorite fetishes: Humiliation and power
- 91% have engaged in oral sex
- 80% were confident or somewhat confident with their sexual abilities
- 65% prefer being submissive
- 58% have orgasmed with a sex toy
- 53% have told a partner about a fetish
- 46% have engaged in B&D/S&M.
- 40% have tried anal
- 37% have engaged in role/fantasy play
- 24% have engaged in orgies or threesomes
- 8 % have never had an orgasm
If you're interested in learning more about Harvard Sex Week and maybe bringing it to your school, we're sure they'll share any OER with you.
History:
SHEATH was founded in 2011 by two Harvard College students, Samantha Meier and Abby Sun. Meier and Sun noticed a lack of sexual health education on campus and decided to start SHEATH to fill that gap. SHEATH's mission is to provide sexual health education opportunities, open up campus dialogue, and bring together Harvard's wide array of health and wellness resources, in one series of events collectively known as Harvard Sex Week. The first Harvard Sex Week was hosted in March of 2012, with the second Harvard Sex Week hosted in the fall of 2012. Harvard Sex Week has run every fall since, with the eighth annual Harvard Sex Week having run October 28 – November 4, 2018.
Mission:
Harvard Sex Week is an annual week of events, ranging from interactive workshops, to lectures, to facilitated discussions, all focusing on issues of sex, sexual health, sexuality, gender, identity, relationships, intimacy, and more. Sex Week intends to both educate and advocate, providing a platform for self-exploration and community dialogue. We intend to promote a week of programming that is interdisciplinary, thought-provoking, scholastic, innovative, and applicable to student experiences in order to promote a more holistic understanding of sex and sexuality. Our goal is to connect diverse individuals and communities both within and beyond Harvard through common human experiences. We are not advocating for engaging in certain sexual acts over others – we’re advocating for knowledge; we simply want to provide a safe space where students can learn about these issues in an accurate and non-judgmental manner. We hope people leave our workshops feeling educated about a topic that they were either assumed to know or assumed to have no interest in, and with a feeling of empowerment from the knowledge that they are now able to make their own safe, healthy, and informed decisions about their sex lives and lifestyles.
info from https://www.harvardsexweek.org/mission/
h/t: @HSexWeek, prnewswire.com