File photo Otago University's had a good uptake of free HIV tests on campus, which it offered as part of its student association’s Sexual Health Week. The week also included a Queer Tea Party and a sexual health quiz night. It coincided with the second reading of the marriage equality bill in parliament, a bill in which 84% students voted in favour of in the 2012 referendum. During the week OUSA assisted in running a number of events including the Queer Tea Party, a Sexual Health quiz night, and the HIV tests on campus. "It was our first shot at doing a sexual health awareness week,” says Otago University Students’ Association Education Office Jordan Taylor. “Its main aim was to raise awareness of the support that is out there for students and to impress upon them the importance of being safe with sex." Twenty students were tested and others were referred on to other providers, as there was not enough time to test them. That compares with 70 people taking the test at the Big Gay Out in Aucklandthis year. "Safe sex is an issue for young people, not just queer youth,” Taylor says. “But given the issue’s importance to queer students we brought the issues together in the Sexual Health Week.” The initiative, which the OUSA Executive aims to grow over the coming years was supported by the Southern District Health Board, Family Planning Dunedin and the New Zealand Aids Foundation who ran the testing. "We hope to get even more turn out next time, students need to know there are multiple options out there to choose from including Student Health right on campus to Family Planning and even free HIV checks at other points around the city", Taylor says. "I realise it’s a pretty touchy topic for some but I believe that the more people who take the time to get a quick and free test the better. We plan on inviting back NZAF again soon for another day of testing for our students, queer, straight and points in-between."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 18th March 2013 - 6:05pm