Oct 2010 - Fetish Expo 2010

{also}'s 'Take care {out} there' project was the major community sponsor for Fetish Expo 2010 held on Saturday the 30th of October.

{also} has identified the fetish community as a distinctive part of Melbourne's queer community and by their very definition,  a sexually adventurous group.

Expo organisers sought support from 'take care {out} there' in sexual health promotion within this sector which festival organisers saw as an inadequately resourced scene in terms of sexual health.

In the lead up to the event, {also} staff have been out visiting key stakeholders and core businesses within the kink scene. The purpose of these visits was to introduce {also} and it's sexual health program 'Take care {out} there' to leaders of this community group. In consultation with Fetish Expo organisers, the 'take care {out} there' project tailored a specific sexual health message for this sector based on responsibility, respect and clear communication, pitched as 'Pleasure Maximisation Principles'.  Fetish Expo and Oz Kink Fest organisers have keenly adopted and communicated this message to their community which has then been reinforced through a poster campaign with key stakeholders and core businesses and throughout the Fetish Expo on Saturday the 30th of October. The response from the kink community to the process has been overwhelmingly positive.

On the day of the expo 'take care {out} there' volunteers surveyed approximately 140 people. The survey consisted of questions regarding sexuality, social networks, relationships, sexual practices, fetishes, condom usage, behaviour and comprehension of sexual health issues.

Initial findings from the survey indicate this sector as being not yet sufficiently catered for in terms of sexual health, with the surveys revealing a broad range of sexual and fetish practices involving risk of disease transmission, a high level of flexibility in terms of sexuality, and a low level of literacy in terms of core sexual health information such as availability of PEP.

Following on from having a great time getting to know people at the Expo itself, some of the 'Take care {out} there' team will be following up with the key stakeholders in this scene, to ensure that we can continue to support the Fetish community and have an ongoing relationship with the leaders in this arena to ensure we can continue to work together to foster greater long term health outcomes for this community.

{also} congratulates Fetish Expo for their new Pleasure Maximisation Principles!

Pleasure Maximisation Principles

 
Fetish Expo and Oz Kink Fest are committed to providing information and environments that facilitate the opportunity for responsible individuals to
consensually discover, explore, engage, educate and enjoy the diversity and delights within Melbourne’s Fetish Communities.
 
We respectfully ask all participants to embrace and adhere to the following principles so that everyone has the opportunity to safely explore
their personal boundaries and adult sexuality.
 

SIX PRINCIPLES FOR MAXIMISING PLEASURE

 
1.Seek consent
2.Communicate clearly
3. Be risk aware
4.Know your limitations
5.Respect yourself and other
6. Be responsible for yourself and your charges.
 
SAFE, SANE & CONSENSUAL