BUSSW Student Aida Manduley Joined BU’s 3rd Annual Sex in the Dark Event

On October 28, 2014, BUSSW’s Aida Manduley, scheduled to graduate in 2016, sat on a panel of (s)experts at BU’s 3rd Annual Sex in the Dark event. Hosted by Wellness & Prevention Services, the event takes place in complete darkness, minus a few glow sticks, to make students more comfortable discussing intimate issues. Questions are anonymously texted to the sexperts in advance, and nothing relevant is considered “TMI.”

“The goal of the event is to normalize conversations about sexuality and give attendees (mostly students, but it was open to anyone) a fun, honest space to ask questions, as well as familiarize them with resources BU has to offer,” Manduley said. “All this while grounding “sexpert” answers in accessible, non-judgmental language and paying attention to things like consent and sexual diversity.”

When she first arrived at Brown University, Manduley knew she wanted to work on issues of LGBTQ rights and racial justice. “As a queer Latina, not only did I know those issues were important overall, but they were also topics I wasn’t able to tackle when I lived with my family in Puerto Rico,” she said. “I branched out into sexuality education more specifically, but it’s all rooted in wanting social justice.”

Manduley is a youth sexuality educator with Partners in Sex Education, an Offsite Sex Educator with Good Vibrations, a Sexual Health Advocate, and a Special Projects Consultant with The Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health. However, she is also a active and engaged student with at the School of Social Work.

“My goal is to consistently connect my knowledge bases, so bringing bits of social work into the sexuality field and vice-versa is very important to me,” Manduley said. “I’ve acquired core sexuality knowledge, but also gotten experience in fundraising, organizational development, education, and things like program management.”

Currently on the Clinical Track, Manduley’s detailed knowledge about sexuality issues allows her to connect with clients around issues that other social workers may find uncomfortable. “I joked about it in a class the other day, actually,” Manduley said. “We were talking about issues facing older adults, and how many seniors are sexually active. Someone said they didn’t want to talk to their grandparents about sex, and I just exclaimed: ‘ME! Let me do it! I want to talk to everyone’s grandparents about sex!’”

Manduley’s social work aspirations include both a passion for macro and private practice. Interested in human services management and the intersections of social work with public health, she has special interest in areas of sexual and domestic violence, reproductive justice, and provider competency with minority populations.

When asked about the importance of events like Sex in the Dark, Manduley noted the purpose of higher education. “College is not just a place to get an academic education; it’s a place where students go to become well-rounded individuals, and sexuality is a large part of human experience that deserves analysis and intellectual (as well as practical) attention.”