Have you ever wondered if there’s a place on campus that you can go to get free condoms or lubricant? Or if there’s a safe, welcoming space to learn more about your sexuality? The Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality provides all these services and more! They are located in the Cesar Chavez Center T-138 and open Monday-Friday from 10am to 5pm. EROS provides resources for safer sex, healthy relationships, and sexuality exploration.
When walking into EROS’s office, one might feel intimidated or uncomfortable by the inflatable penises, anatomical diagrams, or sex toys on display; but the services they provide are rooted in harm reduction theory and work to actively oppose stigma surrounding sex. Rather than telling people not to engage in certain activities, harm reduction supports people in engaging in these activities safely and without judgement. In an interview with Camila Hernández, director of EROS, she shared that they use the harm reduction approach, especially in a college environment.
Hernández told HCSF “As people that are coming into the college system for the first time, as new adults…who are for the first time away from their families, they are probably going to engage in new experiences and experimentation…It’s important to use the harm reduction approach to acknowledge that these things are probably still going to happen but to encourage people to do them in a safe way.” EROS provides free internal and external condoms, lubricant, and dental dams to support students at SFSU in engaging in safer behaviors and making informed decisions.
Harm reduction extends to substance use as well, so EROS provides Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, and fentanyl test strips to support students in using substances safely. Naloxone is an emergency nasal spray that can treat opioid overdose. Fentanyl test strips can be used to test drugs for fentanyl, a dangerous drug that is often laced in other drugs unbeknownst to the person using.
Hernández expanded on how safe drug use is intertwined with EROS’s mission, saying “If people are going to engage in certain drugs that are pills or powders, they know for sure what they’re consuming [if they use test strips]. It’s just about being informed. I think those things also tie into consent, which is a big part of EROS. You want to make sure that you’re fully informed with what you’re doing.” Especially in San Francisco, a city in the midst of an opioid crisis, it is important to equip students with the resources to make informed decisions about drug use.
Consent and informed decision making isn’t just important for safer drug use, but is also essential to healthy relationships and enjoyable sex. Building on their mission of promoting consent, EROS works to promote healthy relationships by educating students and holding events related to consent and respectful communication. EROS hosted a consent awareness week in September 2024 that included a sexual assault prevention workshop, survivor support resource and service fair, and a sexual communication workshop. Further empowering students, EROS also creates a supportive space to explore one’s sexuality without stigma. EROS puts on kink and bondage workshops and has a lending library with academic, fictional, instructional, and pornographic books and DVDs. Whether you’re looking to learn more about sexuality or get resources on healthy relationships, EROS is there to support and welcome you in embracing your sexuality.
Starting a conversation, creating a space for, and providing resources on safe sex practices, healthy relationships, and sexuality exploration makes SFSU a safer, more diverse, and inclusive community. EROS does not just promote safe sex, they promote healthy relationships, bodily autonomy, health, and empowerment at SFSU. Their mission is especially important in a college environment where most students haven’t had access to these resources in high school and often tell Hernández that “it [sex ed in high school] was all related to STI and pregnancy prevention but didn’t touch on consent, healthy relationships, pleasure, or how sex is a fun thing to do. It was much more clinical.”
If you want to learn more about EROS, they host office hangouts every other Friday from 1pm-3pm starting September 13th. If you’re interested in attending EROS events, there will be a Kink and Bondage workshop on October 21st from 2pm-4pm at University Club at the Cesar Chavez Student Center and EROS’ 16th annual Sexuality Career Fair on November 4th from 12pm-5pm outdoors at the Malcolm X Plaza. Follow them on instagram at @as_aros_sfsu to stay up to date on upcoming events.