Healthy Sexuality

In the spring of 2016, several Grinnell College staff and students were trained in Our Whole Lives (OWLs), a curriculum that focuses on learning about healthy sexuality and relationships produced by the Unitarian Universalist Association. We are using OWLs to inform programming for students. This program is now being offered in the broader Grinnell community.

"Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. With a holistic approach, Our Whole Lives provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality."

To learn more about this curriculum, visit Our Whole Lives.

Consent

Consent consists of an affirmative, conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity. A person must act freely and voluntarily and have knowledge of the act and who is involved. Consent to one form of sexual activity does not constitute consent to engage in all forms of sexual activity. Consent must be present at every stage and can be withdrawn at any time. An individual who is incapacitated by alcohol or other drugs (including prescriptions) cannot give consent.

Below, Planned Parenthood's All About Consent video discusses why consent matters, what consent looks like, and how to give consent. For additional information from Planned Parenthood, visit their All About Consent.

How Do You Know if Someone Wants to Have Sex with You Planned Parenthood Video

The article by Ellen Friedrichs, "5 Questions About Alcohol and Consent You’re Too Afraid to Ask, Answered" is helpful in explaining common questions people have about alcohol, sex, and consent.

On Campus Resources

Student Health and Wellness (SHAW)
Located in lower level of Forum, 1119 6th Avenue
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8–5 p.m.
641-269-3230

SHAW offers health and mental health services to support your personal and academic growth and success at Grinnell. In addition to the immediate care you require, we also provide you with the tools and information you need to develop lifelong self-care and wellness habits. With the exception of at-cost fees for some medical tests, inoculations, and Plan B, all of our other services are free of charge.

Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC)
Located in Main Hall First lobby on South campus.

SHIC is a student-run organization that consists of a safer sex supplies store (condoms, dental dams, pregnancy tests, etc.). SHIC provides a space for students to ask questions and be referred to resources. In addition, SHIC regularly holds sex positive-related campus events and programming.

Stonewall Resource Center (SRC)
Located in Younker Hall Pit on North campus.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 5 p.m.–midnight (12 a.m.) / Saturday 1–4 p.m.

The Stonewall Resource Center (SRC) was originally established as the Human/Gay Resource Center in 1986. It is named in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when New York City police raided a Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. The rebellion gave birth to the Gay and Lesbian Pride movement in the United States.

The Stonewall Resource Center is a confidential, safe space serving Grinnell’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning communities and allies. Staffed by a student management team, the center offers support for individuals, educational programming, and LGBTQ activities on campus. The SRC library is open to all students and features hundreds of books, films, and leading queer publications. The center also serves as a meeting space for numerous LGBTQ, feminist, and sexuality-related student organizations.