Men advocate safe sexual practices at Massey Uni

Men advocate safe sexual practices at Massey University

The Albany Students’ Association are celebrating April Fool’s Day slightly differently this year by encouraging all male students on campus to get tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections. MASH, or Men Advocating for Sexual Health, is a national campaign devised by the Men’s Education Network (M.E.N), a sub-committee of the New Zealand Union of Students’Associations, which addresses a number of issues affecting men both in the tertiary sector and in the wider community.

“The purpose of the event is to make male students on campus more aware about sexual health…sex is fun but it comes with a price if you’re not checked” said Stephen Freeland, the Men’s Welfare Representative on the ASA. The predominant aim of MASH is to “…make every student on campus more aware of sexual health and to make students aware of the services provided by Massey University”.

National Co-ordinator of M.E.N, Ryan Ward, is of a similar opinion, stating that one of the major aims of the Men’s Education Network is to “…target the social taboo that getting a (STI) check-up is embarrassing” and that there is “no shame in having an STI”. Ward says that it is predominantly men who carry STIs and who are mainly responsible for the spreading of these infections, although, as he states “it takes two to tango”.

MASH is an event that will be celebrated nationally by students’ associations around the country. Events held at Massey University Albany on the day, according to Freeland, will include “A sausage sizzle, some ‘sexually interactive’ games, some goodies, some giveaways and some competitions but, most importantly, onsite sexual health testing”.

M*A*S*H will be held in the Atrium courtyard on gate one, Massy Universities Albany Campus from 12pm on April 1st, 2009.

ENDS

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