Officer Blog

As your Welfare and Community Officer, I’m excited to announce an exciting project I’ve been working on: SHAG Week!

What is SHAG Week? 

SHAG Week, also known as Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance Week, offers a mix of educational events, discussions, workshops, and social activities designed to help you feel informed, safe, and supported whatever your background, beliefs, or experiences. 

Why are we running it? 

There are a few important reasons why this week matters: 

• Young people are most affected by STIs. In 2024, over 350 STI diagnoses were made every day among people aged 15–24. University students fall directly into this group (GOV.UK, 2025). 

• COVID disrupted sex education. Many students missed out on consistent or comprehensive sex education during the pandemic. 

• Our student community is incredibly diverse. Students arrive at university with very different levels of knowledge, cultural backgrounds, and comfort when it comes to relationships and sexual health. 

• University can be daunting. Meeting new people, navigating relationships, and managing peer pressure in a new environment can feel overwhelming. 

Our goal is to break down stigma, provide accurate information, and help students feel empowered to make choices that are right for them, now or in the future. 

What if I’m abstinent or against sex before marriage? 

That’s completely valid and SHAG Week is for you too. This week is not about encouraging sexual activity. It’s about personal care, understanding your own anatomy, and making sure you have the knowledge, confidence, and support you might need at any point in your life.  

Whether you choose to be sexually active now, later, or never, you deserve access to clear information and safe spaces. 

If attending events in person feels uncomfortable, there are other options: 

• Visit our Health Hub, where you can explore sexual health information and resources in your own time and space. 

• If you do want to talk to someone face-to-face, we’ll have a pop-up clinic at Guild Advice, delivered by sexual health professionals from Umbrella, running all week. 

What’s on during SHAG Week? 

A packed week of sexual health education, bold conversations, and fun socials. Expect a Sexual Health Fair, a Big Uni Sex Ed Class, talks such as: Beyond Boys and Girls: How Gender Shapes Sexual Behaviour, queer-focused talks and more.  

We’ll also be hosting We Love Consent Workshops, a See it. Say it. Stop it and Support workshop, Speed Friending, creative sessions, and standout nights like the Drag Disco and Valentine’s club night. 

You’ll see society-led events including PolSoc Discusses: Body Politics, Women in Politics: Media, Power and the Political Female Body, Self Discovery on the Pole and Sexpression’s Arts and Crafternoon, as well as their Sexual Health Mythbuster Workshop.  

Plus, we will be hosting a NHS Sexual Health Pop Up Clinic. 

If you have any questions or accessibility needs, feel free to get in touch with me at welfare@guild.bham.ac.uk   

See you there and stay safe!  

Abby Kenrick