A Class For a Happy and Healthy Sex Life
“Our major promise is that we want you to have a happy and healthy sex life,” said Brooke Zimmers, one of the three Intersextions professors.
Intersextions, a 15-credit class, is offered for the fifth time at Shoreline Community College in Winter Quarter 2013. Three class subjects intersect under the central theme of “Sex, Gender, Power, Psychology, and Communication,” aiming to provide students with skills and knowledge to navigate and maintain sexual relationships.
Professor Rachel David said, “One of the focuses of my discipline would be around the issue of consent. For example, when you have power and differences in a sexual relationship. The issue of consent whether one person is given free and total of consent to all of sexual behaviors in a relationship becomes a sticky issue.”
David said, “We talk about how you can address power and differences in a relationship. How you can negotiate consent between partners. How you talk to your partner if you are feeling like they are pressuring you to do something sexually that you don’t want to do.” Zimmers added, “How you tell what you like them to do.”
Professor Diana Knauf brings in a psychological perspective, for example, how consent or a lack of consent affects our mind and behaviors, and which behaviors are welcome or not welcome to us.
Zimmers stated that the class would also cover a discussion on how institutions of law and media influence our gender roles and relationships. For instance, can you have a happy and healthy sex life if all the messages you get from media are that your body is fat, ugly, and wrong? added David.
“I left the class feeling more confident in managing tough friendship conversations and situations. … The class also helped me make friends as everyone opened up and really built community among participants,” said Jovonna Vaughn, a former student taking this class in Winter 2010.
“Students who took this class had their lives change by it. We’ve had marriage came out of it. We did have one divorce came out”, said Zimmers. David met the divorced student, and he said, “I think about your class everyday”. David revealed, “This class helped him realize that his marriage was not what he wanted out of marriage for reasons, including the gender of his partner.”
Students are encouraged to take this class. David claimed, “This class will change your life”. Intersextions is offered once in two years. So, you may need to reschedule your academic plan if this is not on your plan. “It is a great class and a rare opportunity,” said Zimmers.
No worries if you are interested but afraid that you may get embarrassed talking about sex. David said, “We ease you in. We do not talk about penises on the first days.” Zimmers also confirmed thatthis class welcomes all students regardless of their social identities and relationship and virginity status.
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About the class:
- No prerequisites.
- Total 50-75 students.
- Monday – Thursday, 9:30a.m. – 12:20p.m.
- 5 credits each for Communication 101 or Communication 195, Psychology 210, and Gender & Women’s studies 286.
- These 15 credits fulfill 5 Humanities requirement credits, and 10 Social Science requirement credits.
- Only 1 textbook required.
