How to keep safe when you’re tripping (and sucking) balls this semester
We’ve all heard the rumour that sex is better when you’re high. If you’re looking to test that rumour out while your sex playlist is blasting to drown out the sound of your flatmate screaming at you through the wall, we’re here to help.
Not sure whether your MDMA is spiked with bath salts? Not particularly keen to find that one out the hard way; when you’re a third year headed to Bar101 to hook up with freshers on a Wednesday night? Plan in advance to stay safe.
This semester, a free and confidential drug checking clinic will be running through the Caretaker’s Cottage in Albert Park on March 9, March 25, and May 4. If you’re unable to make any of these dates, various other clinic dates are available at The Hempstore (253 Karangahape Rd). A full list of these dates and times can be found at thelevel.org.nz/drug-checking-clinics.
Drug checking is now 100% legal in Aotearoa, since the Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Act 2021 was passed. You are not breaking any laws by getting your drugs tested (you are breaking laws by consuming them, but we’re going to assume you already know this). Drug checking services will also not ask for your name or any identifiable information when you attend these clinics. Any and all chemical substances you’re planning on taking can be checked.
The checking process will take around five minutes per drug, and the sample size of your drug taken will be around the same size as a match head. Please, don’t be a pompous asshole about your safety—it’s so much better to sacrifice a little bit of your substance for the sake of waking up the next day and getting to brag to your mates about how cool the lights looked while you were high as a kite.
Accidents happen during sex. Was your last one night stand looking so slay that suddenly the absence of protection was the last thing on your mind? Don’t stress! Free Plan B is here, and it’s available through the Unichem Campus Pharmacy (City Campus only) and Student Health and Counselling Services. It can be accessed without a script or an appointment from the pharmacy, though booking an appointment with a nurse is required if going through the Student Health and Counselling Services. A simple consultation is all that needs to happen before you get Plan B and a pregnancy test.
It’s worth noting that even though Plan B is famously referred to as the ‘morning after pill,’ we’re here to break that myth: The Plan B on campus is clinically proven to be effective for up to 72 hours after sex, though it’s worth noting that the level of effectiveness does diminish over time.
If you’re having sex with someone that is not your monogamous partner, it’s also important to get tested at regular intervals. The University is hosting free sexual health screening services in conjunction with Auckland Sexual Health Services and the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa on the first Tuesday of each month. These pop-in clinics are operating this semester on April 4, May 2, June 6, and July 4, between 2 and 5pm in Workshop 101 (Kate Edger Information Commons).
Finally, if you’re looking for a place to get free condoms before the fun gets started (because what wanker is paying $22.99 for a box of 20 durex condoms from Countdown?) these are available in all University Halls of Residence, and at the University Health and Counselling facilities.