Project X’s popular Nitty Gritties course starts this month.
This five eek course is a great opportunity to find out more about same sex relationships, right down to the nitty gritties.
Course Coordinator Gavin Tsai from the WA AIDS Council gave OUTinPerth an insight into what the course covers.
Who is the course intended for?
Nitty Gritties is a course for men who have sex with men and aged 18+ regardless how they identify themselves (gay, bi, straight…). This course starts on August 11 (Monday) and runs for 3 hours on Monday evenings for 5 weeks.
What topics does it cover?
Nitty Gritties is all about sex between guys so the course looks at a wide range of topics from male anatomy, sexual techniques to sexual communication and negotiation, HIV and STIs, sexual health maintenance, safer sex and drug use. In a nutshell this course will cover lots of topics that will assist participants to maximise sexual pleasure and to minimise risks. On top of that we invite participants to write down any and every questions they have about sex between guys anonymously and we will try to answer them each session!
After each session in the course there is a social component, what does that involve?
We understand that many guys feel quite frustrated when it comes to making friends in a non-sexual setting. Many guys contacted us and wanted to find out where they can meet like-minded guys to form friendship. One of our goals is to address this social isolation and our courses are a great place to do just that.
We encourage participants to hang out at a café or restaurant after each session so friendships can grow. After all, participants will meet for 3 hours a week for 5 or 6 weeks. We will also organise a group dinner at the completion of the course to celebrate the time together. Many of our past participants told us that they developed long-lasting friendships through attending courses.
What sort of skills can guys expect to learn in this course?
There are plenty of skills we will explore in this course and it is quite important to point out that we do this in a non-sexual way. What it means is there will not be “live demonstrations” but there are plenty of saucy presentations to help with the skills. We will talk about how to deep throat, how to reduce pain when it comes to anal play, how to keep us safe from HIV/STIs, how to make oral sex more fun, what douching is and how to do it safely and wait for it… how to achieve multiple orgasms!!
What’s your favourite part of the course?
I like all aspects of this workshop of course… but if I must choose then I’d have to say the opportunity to talk about sex openly with a group of like-minded guys in a safe and fun environment tops it all. I mean, think about it, how often do we get the chance to do that?? Participants will find this course full of laughter and tips that work for others!
Does somebody have to be ‘out’ to attend the course?
Not at all… We are not here to advocate either coming out or staying in but rather an unique opportunity for individuals’ to share their stories and to hear the experiences of others. We understand everyone’s got a slightly different story and it should be respected. We are simply here to assist guys to have an enjoyable and safe sex life.
How is confidentiality treated in the course?
We take confidentiality really seriously so the participants will feel comfortable and safe enough to share their experiences and stories. This is the foundation of our courses. All personal information will be kept confidentially on a password protected network. Also the very first thing we’ll do on any course is to set up a “group agreement”.
This is not an agreement set up by the facilitators but rather, a list generated by the group. Not surprisingly, confidentiality is almost always the first thing on the list. This includes things like what’s discussed in the room stays in the room and how we will interact with each others in the community (so not to accidentally outing others). Participants are very welcome (and encouraged) to raise any confidentiality concerns with the facilitators.
To inquire or to register for the Nitty Gritties course, guys can contact the WA AIDS Council 9482 0000 or email waac@waaids.com
Image: Stock image – YayMicro
