The Science of Sex is back and just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Come out to NYSCI for a night of mini-workshops and fun, based on a topic that many of us enjoy talking about, but few of us have had any formal or decent sex education.

Learn things you don’t know, ask questions you’ve always wanted to ask, and get tips and guidance for the talks you might need to have (sooner than you think!) with the young people in your life. NYSCI has organized 20-minute workshops and demonstrations with sex educators, authors and inventors who make their livings educating and making sexual health and experiences safer, better and normal.

There will be a cash bar, free Valentine’s chocolates and treats available all night.

Participants must be age 21 or older. $15 per person. (Members: $10 per person.)

—-
Mini Workshops and Offerings

Demystifying Birth Control and Safer Sex with Adjoa Sankofia Tetteh
Does birth control really trick your body into thinking it’s pregnant? What’s the difference between the hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs? How do dental dams work? Why is lube my best friend? What’s the deal with PrEP? Come along for the ride as sexuality educator Adjoa Sankofia Tetteh answers these questions and more as we delve into the sexy science of the latest birth control and safer sex methods! This workshop will run three times throughout the evening.

Materials Matter
Real Talk From a Chemical Engineer with Laura Parker, Cofounder of New York Toy Collective: What’s the deal with materials: ABS, PVC, PS, PET TPR? Get a quick guide to the polymer alphabet soup of sex toy materials and lube ingredients, as well as the pros and cons of a few classics: stainless steel, glass, wood and ceramic. This workshop will run once.

Gender Play
A Show and Tell with Chelsea Downs and Laura Parker, Cofounders of New York Toy Collective: Curious about gender play? We know gender and sexuality are more like clay than set in stone. Luckily, there are numerous options for playing and experimenting. Join us for a hands-on exploration of New York Toy Collective’s extensive gender expression toy box. This workshop will run twice.

The Science of Pleasure and Rejection with Karen B. K. Chan, Sex & Emotional Literacy Educator
More pleasure and less rejection—that’s at the core of why many people seek sex therapy. What do the two experiences have in common? They both happen in the brain, and both have everything to do with how you make meaning. Join Karen for a series of thought-provoking questions so you can grow deeper into your pleasure and more resilient against rejection. This is a two-part session that will cycle through 20-minute sessions of anonymous live polling, alternating between the two topics.

Sex Toy 101 with Babeland
Learn about the science and technology behind Babeland’s favorite toys, along with helpful tips and information about consent and pleasure for play by yourself or with others. This workshop will run three times.

Sex Ed Haute Glue Bling with NYSCI’s Maker Space
Make your own unique blinking wearable that will leave your friends asking, “What is that and where can I get one?” Made from a few simple materials (hot glue, batteries, LED lights and silicone ice cube trays) this is a ​quick​ walk-up project that’s​ a lot of fun and​ sure to make an impression. Maker Space will also be ​3D ​printing the clitor​​us ​as a parting gift.

Planned Parenthood of NYC Action Fund Activist Council members will be on site with information about how to get involved with Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC), info about sexual and reproductive health services at PPNYC, and free safer sex kits.