Sexual consent: What exactly is it and is it sexy?

Sexual consent is a health buzz word. Consent is sexy. Consent is necessary. You don’t want to violate someone’s consent—that is a sexual assault. However, do we really know what consent is and importantly, what consent is not? During this conversation, we will chat about sexual consent and sexual refusal communication or how do we say “yes” and “no” to sex. Spoiler alert—we say it with a lot more than a verbal yes or no. We’ll discuss some of positive outcomes associated with open and on-going consent and refusal communication. Finally, all attendees will leave with some tips on how to talk to others about these topics—including their children.

Tiffany Marcantonio, PhD is a Professor at the University of Alabama. Her research is focused on sexual assault prevention with an emphasis on sexual consent and alcohol use. She’s been working in the field of sexual violence prevention for nearly a decade.