There is so much to prepare for when heading back to school, especially if you have moved away from home to attend college! You have to think about housing, sourcing textbooks, how to make it to your next class in less than 10 minutes, and so much more. Between everything you need to get together and society’s overall hesitation to talk about sex - your post-secondary sexual health is something that might be neglected during your uni prep. That’s okay, The Traveling Tickle Trunk is here to help!

First things first, you do not have to be sexually active now or ever. While TV shows and movies about college make it seem like everyone is gettin’ down all the time, a high percentage of students are not having sex at this point in their lives. You are not alone if engaging in sexual activity does not feel right to you yet.  Even if you were the only one on campus not having sex, (and you’re not) that’s cool, those are your boundaries!

However, if you are hoping to explore some sexual activity, post-secondary can be a great opportunity to do so. There are new faces, new places, and new spaces to get acquainted with! One space we especially recommend getting acquainted with before you have all your fun, is the sexual health resources on your campus. Depending on your school, this may be a sexual assault centre, a birth control clinic, or a specific student group. There should be sexual health specific centres offering education and support on all campuses, but I digress.

The resource(s) on your campus should be able to provide you with information on consent, free condoms and dental dams, brochures from additional community resources, contraceptive options and more! There may be presentations on a variety of topics related to sexuality during your welcome week or a sexual health week, if your school hosts one, to look out for. From all of this, you can take what you need, and are ready for, and leave the rest.

During your preparation and information gathering, it can be a good idea to take some time to reflect on your sexual boundaries and interests for this new time in your life. These can ebb and flow with each new situation, but serve as a good foundation as you navigate all the things you have to navigate throughout university. If you think of something new you want to try, this can also be a good opportunity to do further research.

Another aspect of your sexual health you may have to think about differently now that you are a post-secondary student is your privacy. It may be difficult to fully explore your sexuality and newfound freedom if you are living in a dorm with someone, sharing spaces with roommates, or are living at home with family, but we are here to provide you with some tips and tricks!

Firstly, everyone has a right to privacy! That means that you need to respect the space of others and that other people should respect your space and objects as well, even when living quarters are tight. This can look like knocking and waiting to enter a space until you get verbal confirmation, not going through your housemate’s rooms or drawers without permission, and expecting the same from the people you live with.

At the TTT we love sex toys and think they can be amazing tools for pleasure and exploration. Not everyone wants to use sex toys, but they can be especially great during this period to explore what types of sexual stimulation you are into. If you are worried about privacy and noise, have no fear, we have even more tips below on how to use sex toys if you do share spaces!

Sex toy technology has come a long way in the past decade or so, and most vibrating toys are actually quite quiet. It is a valid concern that a roommate may hear you using your vibrator, but pair a quiet toy with a closed bedroom door, or music, or stimulation under the sheets, and it is highly unlikely that anyone will hear a peep! If you are sharing a dorm room where you do not have your own private space, this is a slightly different story. In this situation, we recommend exploring your sexual pleasure in a completely private space, like the bathroom or shower room - a lot of the subtle, quiet toys we sell are also waterproof! It is important to practice consent and to not masturbate in front of your dorm mates if that is something that would make them uncomfortable.

For help transporting toys and for overall privacy, we recommend getting a bag for your pleasure products. At the Tickle Trunk we sell a few sex toy storage cases, but would specifically recommend this silicone one because it is waterproof, subtle, easy to wipe down, and can have a padlock added to it for extra privacy.

Some additional back to school toy recommendations:

Palm Power:  quiet, rechargeable, small, comes with a travel case, water-resistant

Rianne Heart: quiet, rechargeable, doesn’t look like a vibrator, water-resistant

Lipstick Vibe: affordable price, looks like lipstick - not a vibrator! For a slightly less subtle, but rechargeable and waterproof version, check out the We-Vibe Tango X

Fleshlight Quickshot: subtle, compact, easy-to-clean stroker for penis-havers

Tenga Egg: subtle, compact, disposable stroker

Please feel free to call us: 780-469-6669 or stop by if you would like additional recommendations on quiet toys, toys that don’t look like toys, toys you can use in the water, and more! We are always happy to chat.

Wishing you the smoothest, safest, and most pleasurable journey back to school!

- The TTT Team

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