This post was updated Nov. 28 at 10:48 p.m.

While some Bruins shy away from talking about sex, one group on campus is trying to start conversations.

“Our mission is to provide resources for the UCLA community in regards to sexual health through trainings, through giveaways and through supporting student needs,” said Daniel Schettini, the club’s finance director and a fourth-year physiological science and political science student. “We’re one of the few clubs or organizations that even touches on the subject.”

UCLA Sexperts is a student-led organization and a Student Wellness Commission committee that focuses on fostering open communication about sex, according to its website. The organization uses peer educator workshops, tabling and social media to educate students about sexual health, consent, communication and pleasure.

One way Sexperts tries to spread awareness is through its informational workshops.

Jovana Tankou, a third-year African American studies and sociology student, said she thinks educational workshops can help decrease student anxieties regarding sex. The club aims for its workshops to destigmatize attitudes toward talking about sex, Tankou said.

Sexperts holds workshops for clubs across campus and for Greek life organizations, said Ivan Boodhoo, the group’s social media director and a fourth-year biology student.

Tankou added that students participating in Greek life are a key audience for sex education because of higher rates of gendered violence embedded within fraternities and sororities.

Beyond workshops, Sexperts also strives to provide UCLA students with tangible resources and physical supplies.

Tankou said handing out physical supplies to students during workshops can help start conversations, open attitudes and make talking about sex less intimidating.

“Sharing resources, handing out free condoms and other contraceptives – things like that … make sex a topic that doesn’t feel as scary,” she said.

Schettini added that the organization’s members hand out supplies, such as condoms, pregnancy tests, dental dams, Plan B and other health supplies, during workshops or tabling events.

To address various student inquiries, Tankou said the organization also offers the ability to submit questions anonymously through a forum. Schettini added that some students are more comfortable when using this anonymous forum.

The club strives to make events fun and exciting to all members, which helps curb the awkwardness that typically comes when discussing topics relating to sex, Boodhoo said.

“We try to make it as fun and inviting as possible because we think that sex is something that should be fun and celebrated, and I think that really comes through in workshops,” he said. “A lot of people will be hesitant at first or might feel like it’s awkward, but usually a welcoming and friendly environment is established.”

Schettini said some students respond to workshops differently than others, in part because of different levels of exposure to sex education before coming to college. He added that when speaking to people who have had less sex education in the past, Sexperts tries to approach conversations with honesty to build trust.

“We really like to just be upfront, be as transparent and honest as we can,” Schettini said. “You don’t try to sugarcoat anything. It creates a lot of confusion, so we will be as positive and open and as direct as possible.”

Alyssa Miramontes, the organization’s co-director and a fourth-year psychology student, said outside the organization’s mission to educate students, Sexperts also provides a community for its volunteers. She added that joining Sexperts has helped her find her community on campus as a transfer student.

“This club has genuinely just made me a better person and human being overall,” Miramontes said. “The members we have (are) the most open, down-to-earth people ever. We talk about such intimate things right off the bat. You’re bound to get close with these people.”