Sex: a mechanism as tangential to humans as eating, breathing and surviving. While not discussed openly, Colorado State University students are confronting societal norms in the Psychology of Human Sexuality course.

Housed in the department of psychology, the course is taught by Instructor Sara Garvey, who took over the course’s mantle in 2019. While the class’s name may be jarring to some, Garvey clarifies the material’s purpose from day one of the semester.

“It’s absolutely not a class about how to have sex,” Garvey said. “It’s about all the factors that influence our expression, our identity, our desire, our health, our relationships, our everything that’s surrounding our sex and sexuality.”

From the jump, Garvey clearly defines the scientific differences between gender and sex to her students, taken from the American Psychological Association. The scientific organization views gender and reproductive sex as being “interrelated but fundamentally distinct concepts,” Garvey said.

“The way that we see biological or reproductive sex is based on a number of indicators, and that can be your genetics, your gonads, your hormonal system, your anatomy, and that deals with your biology of reproduction,” Garvey said. “But then psychologists see gender as a product of both biology and also a ton of psychosocial factors. So that is how we show up in the world (and) how we experience ourselves that can be influenced by this world we live in.”

“I would argue that our sexuality is a central aspect of our humanity. It’s one of the most important topics to study. The field has really changed and grown, and it’s only growing.” –Sara Garvey, Psychology of Human Sexuality instructor

Course content centers on the intersectional nature of psychology and the scientific study of the mind and body with sexology — the scientific study of human sex and sexual nature.

“(We cover) everything from the history of sexology to anatomy and physiology to gender identity and expression to sexual response to sexual difficulties, to contraception and abortion, sexually transmitted infections (and) sexual assault,” Garvey said. “We also cover what’s known as the sex marketplace — so sex work, things like OnlyFans or other types of sex work.”

Due to the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, Garvey works to foster a culture of comfort and voluntary participation among the students enrolled. This includes never forcing students to speak directly about personal sexual experiences and only participating if they feel comfortable.

“Sometimes you can feel palpable anxiety as we approach a topic; for instance, when we talk about sexual assault and misconduct, things like that,” Garvey said. “But I’m actually refreshed every semester with the willingness of students to explore these topics with me. And it’s refreshing to see that curiosity and empathy that students approach topics with.”

Students’ sexual values are also taken into account in Garvey’s instructional method.

“It is important in my class that I acknowledge that there are people that are not sexually active in the class,” Garvey said. “Someone who is either asexual, who could or could not be sexually active, … somebody who doesn’t experience drive or someone who does experience sexual interest but is choosing not to for their values, and that is also a fundamentally healthy expression.”

This comfortable culture of openness and willful participation is felt and appreciated by students while still centering on applicable material.

“It was very educational; it was very open and scientific and all these things,” said Lucy Growdon-Stark, a fourth-year psychology student. “But she also made it very fun and involved, and there were fun questions.”

Undergraduate teaching assistant Megan Woods emphasized that Garvey’s openness and comfortability in relation to the subject matter captivates lecture attendees.

“I always tell my parents, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, just got out of a TED Talk,’” Woods said. “I feel like I’m in a TED Talk. That’s so cool. That’s how I describe Sarah and her teaching.”

Garvey incorporates a sex-positive perspective to all forms of sexual expression, defining the viewpoint as “an attitude that all expressions of sexuality can be healthy and accepted if they are consensual, if they’re safe and if they’re maybe pleasurable.”

This openness transcends course content, with no topic considered too taboo to mention. The semester begins by exploring perspectives on sexuality, anatomy, physiology and lifespan development. More sensitive topics, including fetishes, paraphilias and other methods of sexual expression, are explored in the second half of the course.

While some students may find the later subjects abnormal to discuss, Garvey’s preestablished framework of openness influences how the class defines “normal.”

“When we think of normality for pretty much everything with sex, instead of thinking, ‘Is this normal or abnormal?’ we’re really thinking about, ‘Where does this fall on the spectrum of variation?’” Garvey said. “So for instance, if we’re thinking about sex drive or libido, right, it’s not, ‘Is this normal or is this abnormal?’ it’s ‘Where are you on the spectrum?’”

Several students’ preconceived notions are challenged by the scientific backing of the course, including how sexuality evolves throughout the human lifespan.

“Sometimes students come with an idea that after, say, menopause or middle age, people just stop having sex — and that’s not true,” Garvey said. “You can continue to have a very satisfying sex life. It looks different when you’re 80 than when you’re 40, and then it looks different from when you’re 20, but it still can be fulfilling and a central part of your humanity.”

For other lessons, Garvey adopts a myth-busting lens to better illustrate the difference between popular culture myths and reality backed by science.

“You all might kind of giggle or laugh as we describe the anatomy of the male reproductive system, but if you don’t understand the the nuts and bolts of this and the biology or the mechanisms, it might lead you to believe that your response is not normal, like not OK, that could lead to anxiety, which can then lead to sexual function difficulties,” Garvey said.

These open discussions of less mainstream forms of sexual expression have left lasting impacts on students, both current and past.

“I definitely think after taking the class, I am a much more sex-positive person,” Woods said. “I think viewing these topics in a way where I can take a nonjudgmental stance and appreciate multiple sides of a debate, if you will, (is important). I definitely think I’m just so much more open in talking about it, accepting all elements of sexuality.”

Normativity and the social acceptance of various forms of sexual expression also ebb and flow with social and cultural changes.

“It’s not a static criteria,” Garvey said. “Our judgments change over time. … BDSM is way more accepted now than it was 10 years ago, right? And who knows what will end up in 10 years.”

The scale of normativity explored throughout the course stuck with many students’ understanding of fetishes and less mainstream forms of sexual expression well after their completion of the course.

“We talked a lot about how sexuality isn’t a choice and all these things,” Growdon-Stark said. “It was very eye-opening to see that, like, taboo doesn’t mean (that) just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean that it’s not understood by other people.”

Others found valuable interdisciplinary knowledge through the course, which they said they believe transcends the current sociopolitical atmosphere.

“I think taking a class like this or a class that just pushes any social boundary, I think is super important to take right now to broaden our perspectives on things and, like, not let the doors close all the way,” Woods said.

At the end of the semester, Garvey’s main hope is for students to walk away with a more deep, empathetic understanding of sexuality and humans.

“I hope they walk away with an increased comfort level for addressing sensitive topics, whether that’s in their personal life or an academic or professional context,” Garvey said. “I also hope that they walk away with an appreciation of the variation that exists in humans, … that they appreciate the complex factors that go into all that makes up our (sexuality). … If they’re walking away after 16 weeks with those either skills or ideas or openness to ideas, then I’ll consider it a success.” 

Looking to the future, Garvey’s excitement for the future of human sexuality research is palpable.

“I would argue that our sexuality is a central aspect of our humanity,” Garvey said. “I think it’s one of the most important topics to study. The field has really changed and grown, and it’s only growing.”

Reach Katie Fisher at science@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.