10 SRH-related activities for end of lockdown

Easing yourself out of lockdown? Have a look through our list of 10 sexual and reproductive health-related activities! 

1. Try a new period product
   What better time to check if a new period product works for you than before we fully launch ourselves back into society? A whole heap of more environmentally-friendly period products have become available over the last few years – such as menstrual cups, period underwear and reusable pads. You might end up finding one of these methods are more comfortable, cost-efficient and greener than regular disposable pads and tampons.
    
2. Watch some Netflix
   Thought you’d finished Netflix? Try watching some of our favourite sexual and reproductive health-related media – like the hilarious and educational series Sex Education (season 4 just dropped!). Or, if you’re hungry for non-fiction, try the documentary “Period. End of Sentence” about entrepreneurial women in India who shed taboos around menstruation, or “Reversing Roe” about the terrifying bid to restrict abortion access in America. Get the microwave popcorn ready, and invite a friend over!
    
3. Go through your bedside table
   Are you prepared for any exciting post-lockdown sexual adventures? This means cleaning your sex toys (with mild soap and warm water), chucking out any expired condoms and lubes, and ordering yourself some more!
    
4. Decorate
   Did you spend too much time staring at the same, boring walls over the past few months? Why not hang up some gorgeous feminist prints – like these prints by Michelle Pereira at the Victorian Women’s Trust, or Yarli Creative’s “Birthing the Matriarch” print!
    
5. Colour in
   Host a crafternoon - whip out the crayons and pencils and have a go at Tee Corrinne’s ‘Cunt Colouring Book’ – featuring “over 3 dozen cunts of every size and description for you to colour. Originally used for a sex education class.” It’s mindfulness meets labia.
    
6. Give back
   If you’re thinking about a generous donation to a charity, why not look at some sexual and reproductive health-related ones? The International Planned Parenthood Federation fight for sexual and reproductive rights worldwide, and donating can help them provide family planning, maternal health care, HIV care, prevention and other vital services to the people who need them most - poor, young, vulnerable and under-served. Closer to home, Australian charity Share the Dignity distributes period products to those doing it tough. You can help them end period poverty through donating money or period products in one of their collection drives.
    
7. Consider your (contraception) choices
   This might be a good time to reconsider what contraception methods might work best for you. Take the time to research all available options on reputable sites (like ours!) and book in for a telehealth consult with a doctor or sexual health nurse. You can even do an online quiz to see which contraception options might suit you!
    
8. Read a book
   Learn about the history of abortion activism and access in Australia through the collection “Choice Words” (edited by Louise Swinn), or through reproductive rights activist and rebel doctor Caroline de Costa’s autobiography “The Women’s Doc.” Want to learn how a menstrual revolution is the key to unlocking gender equality? Then “About Bloody Time” (by Karen Pickering and Jane Bennett) is the read for you.
    
9. Accessorise
   With spring picnics on the horizon, get your accessories game ready! Need more facemasks? Sisterworks have got you. Feeling playful? Have a look at Yippy Whippy’s “69 Nice Earrings”. Making a different statement? Try Haus of Dizzy’s “Stop Violence Against Women Earrings” or Scienceplay’s “Uterus Acrylic Brooch.”
    
10. Book in
    Is it time for your yearly STI check, or are you behind on Cervical Screening Testing? While it’s easy to put aside your sexual and reproductive healthcare during lockdowns – medical care is always an essential reason to leave home. If you need help finding a GP or sexual health clinic near you, give us a call on 1800 696 784 (weekdays) or use our online search.