APRIL FOOLS: Health center to provide free recreational sex toys

The Saddleback College Board of Trustees passed an initiative that will provide free recreational sex toys to students at the Saddleback College Health Center. (Marin/ Flickr)

Saddleback students with a taste for pleasure will not have to pay for it anymore. Starting late April the Saddleback College Health Center will be providing free sex toys to any student enrolled at the college.

The initiative was passed March 28 during the Saddleback College Board of Trustee’s monthly meeting. The meeting resulted in a five to three vote in favor of the sex toys initiative. Although it was passed, the initiative caused debate from opposing trustees and audience members.

“The school experiences a lack of funding in a number of departments on campus,” said Board of Trustees President Jimmy Tamel. “We should be focusing our attention and our funds toward other projects—student’s sexual satisfaction should not be a priority.”

Students believe that sexual satisfaction should be a priority. The initiative began back in 2011 when sexual psychology students found that sex aides were beneficial to student’s overall health and mental state.

This finding was discovered during a case study involving two groups of students exhibiting anxiety or depression. The study was done over the course of a 16-week semester in which both groups were asked to use various sex toys on a regular basis. One group was asked to utilize the aides at least once a week, while the other was restricted to once every other week.

The finding was the students, who used the sex toys more often reported significantly less stress, depression and showed an increase in grades. The students who utilized the sex toys less, still showed significantly more stress and signs of depression. The students of the study became advocates for the initiative and are happy to see it passed.

“I was a part of the case study back in 2011 and it really changed the course of my life. I was significantly depressed and my grades were slipping,” said Sarah Collins, 23, Sociology major. “If it wasn’t for the sex toys, I don’t know where I would be today. I support this initiative because a lot of students wouldn’t about the benefits and if the health center provides it, they will.”

This initiative does come with a price and it is the students who will pay for it. Starting in the 2016 summer semester, the health service fee will increase from $15 to $30. Student will be receiving an email with information regarding the price increase. Despite the notification, Director of Health services Jane Parris-Coldwall is concerned that students will remain unaware of the service.

“Many students on campus are still very unaware of the services we offer at the health center, so I am concerned that students won’t utilize this opportunity,” Parris-Coldwall said. “It is my goal to make student more aware of what they are paying for.”

In regards to how the sex toys will be provided, Parris-Coldwall says that it is very easy. Unlike the free condoms provided at the office, students must make an appointment to receive the free sex toys.

“Students need to make an appointment at the health center to be able to receive any sex toys,” Parris-Coldwall said. “We want to make sure students are safe and are able to utilize these aides correctly in order to reap the benefits.”

To make an appointment at the health center students can call (949) 583-5707 or stop by the office at BPS-116.

Information about the type of sex toys provided will be available over the course of the next couple of weeks.

Featured image used with CC BY 2.0

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