Raising the flag of different shades and hues of rainbow in celebration of this year’s Pride Month, the Cavite State University, through its Gender and Development Resource Center, conducted a webinar titled “Empowering LGBTQIA+ Individuals with Knowledge on Sexual Health and Safety” held on June 27, 2024, 8:00 am onwards via Facebook Live.
The webinar officially commenced with the discussion of the preliminaries by Ms. MJ Clarisse C. De Grano (CFW).
Mr. Leonard V. Paunil, Faculty Member of CvSU Carmona Campus, proceeded with the discussion proper with the first topic, “Understanding SOGIESC.” He elaborated the definition of SOGIESC from a diverse perspective, underscoring these specific topics: sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics.
It was followed by the second speaker, Mr. Joshua Q. Cadayona, Faculty Member of College of Arts and Sciences, where he delved into the topic titled “Emotional Health Concerns of LGBTQIA+,” highlighting the research studies showing a significant elevated risk of poor mental health among members of LGBTQIA+ (Branstrom, 2024). He also talked about the common challenges they face every day as a member of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, such as name calling, microaggressions, gender bias, gas lighting, unequal treatment, and stereotyping. By experiencing these common challenges, LQBTQIA+ members often develop these key coping strategies as follows: self-blaming, reporting to authority, concealment, avoidance behavior, disengagement, adaptation, and counseling.
Furthermore, Mr. Rizalito B. Javier, RN, MAN, LPT, PhD, discussed the topic titled “LQBTQIA+ Health Issues,” where he elaborated on sexually transmitted infections, its mode and site infection and how it could be prevented through injection. He also delved into the clinical manifestation of treponema pallidum and the treatment procedure for the said condition. Consequently, he also discussed the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which can be transmitted from one person to another, deconstructing the myths regarding the topic, and elaborating on the treatment process for HIV/ AIDS.
Lastly, Mr. Renato T. Agdalpen, Chairperson of the Department of Social Sciences, officially concluded with a closing message on behalf of Dr. Armi Grace B. Desingaño, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He stated the importance of this webinar in breaking myths about the LGBTQIA+ members and the level of acceptance of people with HIV/AIDS. He said that it would not end with this webinar but this a long life process, a collective effort on having a just and inclusive society for all.
Ms. Arlene L. Estrada, Faculty Member and GAD Coordinator of the CvSU Trece Campus, served as the moderator for this webinar.
