About
History of sex in the swamp​​
Sex in the Swamp is an annual event put on by the Alpha Lambda Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG), the National Health Education Honorary. Alpha Lambda Chapter is the ESG collegiate chapter at the University of Florida and was installed in 1978 in the Department of Health Education & Behavior (formerly the Department of Health Science Education). As its name implies, Sex in the Swamp is a health education event focused on the promotion of healthy sexuality. This event began at least 20 years ago. The earliest proof of the event (pictures and t-shirt!) goes as far back as February 2001. One of the current faculty sponsors of ESG, Dr. Holly Moses, recalls attending Sex in the Swamp as a graduate student in February 2004 at The Swamp Restaurant. Actually, this is why the event is referred to as sex in the “swamp”. During the early 2000s, this event was held on the front lawn of The Swamp Restaurant.
After a successful decade of events, Sex in the Swamp took a brief hiatus from 2010-2012. The event returned in 2013 and, ironically, “maskerade” was the 2013 theme of Sex in the Swamp. The event attracted 75-100 students on average and included the famous SEXpert panel, as well as educational booths created by ESG members and campus and community health education and public health agencies. In 2015, ESG partnered with the Student Health Care Center and saw a record-breaking number of students attend the event (200 students!). The event has continued to grow and evolve to include support from several campus and community partners. The health topics covered during the event still focus on important sexual health information, but a variety of spring break-related information for college students is also included. In February 2020, Sex in the Swamp recorded its largest crowd to-date… over 400 students attended this GROOVY event (Peace! Love! Safe Sex!).
This year is another first for Sex in the Swamp. Due to the pandemic, Sex in the Swamp 2021 will not be held in-person. Instead, the event will be held via a virtual platform. And, keeping with the current times… this year’s theme is MASKerade: Mask Up & Wrap Up! Continuing with tradition, the event will kick-off with the SEXpert panel discussion featuring experts in the field of sexual health starting at 7pm sharp on Zoom! After the panel, there will be a vote to determine the winner of the Condom Design Challenge and a brief summary of each of the educational booth topics ESG members created. Additionally, students can visit the Sex in the Swamp website to learn more about important college health topics, such as alcohol safety, mental health, body image, sleep, and drug education. Each “educational booth” will feature a webpage with educational information on the relative college health topic, as well as a fun activity to complete.
As current and future health education specialists, the Alpha Lambda Chapter of ESG wholeheartedly believes that it is important to adapt its health education/promotion programs to the ever-changing world around them to ensure that they continue to deliver relevant, engaging, and informative information and materials. On behalf of this fabulous group of intelligent, creative and compassionate students, it is my honor to welcome you to Sex in the Swamp 2021! May this be another record-breaking year!
