Each year our health promoters pop up at O Week events across the country.

They talk to students to fill them in on everything to do with safer sex and contraception, hand out loads of free stuff and give them the chance to win bags full of products.

We thought we’d give you a snap shot of this year’s activities – and some gentle reminders about some of the information you might have missed.

Study hard, play safe

Our theme for O Week was ‘Study Hard, Play Safe’.

Playing safe means understanding how alcohol can influence the decisions you make about whether to have sex – or not, and about your sexual safety.

Being on campuses during O Week is just one of the ways we’re working to spread this message.

There are some practical things you can do to play safe when you’re having fun:

• Know your alcohol limit
• Watch your drink
• Drink water and eat well 
• Stick with your friends
• Keep your phone topped up 
• Make sure you have enough money for a taxi ride home
• Carry condoms and lube.

To find out more check out our article, Making Good Decisions: Alcohol and Partying

Get your sexual health sorted

O Week marks the start of the university year and it is always a busy time. We know that students have a hundred different things to organise including housing, courses and finances.

But if you are a student it’s also a great time to sort your sexual health too.

Getting your contraception sorted and getting tested for STIs is really important and knowing the location of your local sexual health or Family Planning clinic can make it so much easier.

To find out where your nearest clinic is, use the clinic finder feature on our website.

O Week at Whitireia

We went along to Whitireia New Zealand Campus in Porirua with our Wellington health promoters Marika and Jerusha to see how they do O Week.

All our health promoters set up amazing stalls at campuses around the country. This is a great photo of Marika and Jerusha at Whitireia New Zealand campus. Lots of fantastic goodies!

At the campus, after they set up their stall, Marika and Jerusha welcomed students to come and say hi, and enticed the students with a chance to win a prize pack, pens and a friendly smile.

They quizzed loads of students on where their nearest clinic is located and ka pai to those who knew.

Want cheap condoms?

We promoted the use of condoms and lube at O Week – check out this basket of Durex condoms. Thanks to our friends at Durex for supplying all our condoms.

But O Week isn’t the only place to get condoms.

It only costs $5 to get lots of condoms when you have a prescription. And what’s even better is that you can choose from a variety of sizes, textures and flavours to find what works best for you.

Make an appointment at your nearest Family Planning clinic or visit during their drop-in hours to get a prescription.

Did you know you can also get condoms over the phone? It’s so easy! Try our new phone consult service and get your prescription faxed straight to the pharmacy. Conditions apply for this service. Check out Phone Consultations to find out more.

Quiz time

Back on campus - Marika and Jerusha also quizzed students on what they knew about keeping themselves healthy.

This meant they could go into the draw to win a prize bag chocca-block with condoms, lube and other fun products.

One lucky person at each campus took home this amazing goodie bag. It was packed with products and info to keep them playing safe while they’re studying hard.

Sadly, we can’t offer you a goodie bag like that. But, do you think you would have known all the answers to the questions they asked on campus?

Test your knowledge with these questions (the answers are at the bottom of the page).

Question 1

Give us two times when it is a good idea to get an STI test.

Question 2

Give us two ways of preventing pregnancy (hint: there are lots of different methods!)

Question 3

How much does it cost to visit a Family Planning nurse or doctor if you are under 22?

Quiz answers

Answer 1

It is a great idea to get an STI check: 

• After you have had unprotected sex
• When you start a new relationship (your new partner should get one too)
• If you are pregnant
• If you think you have an STI.

Answer 2

There are so many ways to prevent a pregnancy! 

• Condoms
• Oral contraceptive pill
• LARCs (long-acting reversible contraception) like the implant or the IUD
• Depo Provera injection 
• The ECP (Emergency Contraceptive Pill)
• Don’t forget that abstinence (not having sex) is always an effective way of preventing pregnancy.

Answer 3

If you are a New Zealand resident and under 22, a visit to a Family Planning nurse or doctor is free.

We’ll be back on a campus near you for O Week 2016 – maybe we’ll see you then.