Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aces Lux?

Aces Lux is a sexual health resource for UCLA students started in August 2005. Its mission is to keep the UCLA student body--which is 50% sexually active--educated about their physical and emotional health.

While there are many resources on the internet, many of them are biased in one direction or another or they have the word "sex" written in huge letters with banner ads and naked people. Ideally anyone who is having sex should not be so embarrassed that they cannot look up information on sexual health at garish websites or ask their doctor, but I've found that many students are.  I've taken away the pictures of the naked people and the garish ads.  You should ideally be able to look at this website while your grandma is in the room, as long as she isn't looking directly over your shoulder.

Why should I read this website?

A student health advocate (SHA) survey found that 50% percent of UCLA students have been sexually active in the past year--which means that even if you aren't sexually active, chances are someone you know is. If you are sexually active, you should be informed both about sex and about the tons of confidential resources available for you at UCLA. If you aren't sexually active now, you will be some day, and the more knowledgeable you are the healthier you will be. At the very least, you will be informed enough to help your sexually active friends live healthy sex lives.

Who are you?

I'm a fourth year English creative writing major female student at UCLA who feels very passionately about campus healthcare reform.  I've tried to keep myself relatively anonymous, but if you have figured out who I am it doesn't make you a genius. Since I've tried to stay as neutral as possible on this website, my personal life or beliefs shouldn't matter. I am not a doctor. I don't know if all the information on this website is correct, but I've checked them and believe them to be correct. If I were you, I would not completely rely on this website as the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Double check. Read more. Educate yourself!

What is your stance on buttsex/virginity/abortion/etc?

Again, although I obviously do not believe in abstinence-only education (which is why this site does not instruct UCLA students to wear chastity belts, unless it's part of a BDSM exercise), I personally believe in "whatever works for you." I do not have the right to tell any reader of this website that what they believe in or practice is wrong. For example, I do not have the right to tell someone to lose their virginity any more than I have the right to tell her to keep it. My psychic powers simply do not extend that far. I simply have the ability to--through this website--inform UCLA students about what is available for them (virginity groups, LGBT resources, abortion services, adoption counseling, contraceptives, etc.) and let them make their decisions for themselves.

By letting students know where to access condoms/birth control/etc, aren't you encouraging them to have sex?

No. Because I can't convince someone to have or not have sex through a website. I'm simply not that charismatic or seductive. By letting students know where to access contraceptives and STI protection, I am simply educating those students who are already having sex or are planning to have sex about available resources at UCLA.

ZOMG you're making UCLA students promiscuous!

Yes!  You have single-handedly discovered my nefarious plot! Muahahhaha!

Rest assured that no UCLA student is stupid enough to lose his virginity simply because he has read something on a website. And even if a student is utterly devoid of all judgment and easily influenced by websites such as Aces Lux to live a life of decrepit promiscuity, it is her decision, I did not make it for her. If you can prove to me that this site is making students promiscuous and destroying their lives, please let me know and I will take it down right away.

Why the name Aces Lux?

Honestly? Because I ran out of ideas so I started playing with anagrams. Aces Lux is an anagram of UCLA Sex. Other names I considered included "Bumping Bruins" and "Raunchy Lo" (an anagram of Horny Bruins). Aces Lux won out because it sounds nifty and will pass in casual conversation.

What's with the bears?

Oh, you mean the bumping bruins on the website header? Well, um...I thought it was cute at the time. Birds do it bees do it bears do it your parents did it.

Why did you start Aces Lux?

One day my freshman year, while I was eavesdropping in a large lecture hall (sorry, I was bored) I heard the girl sitting in front of me tell her friend "Oh, we had sex without a condom but since I peed afterwards don't worry I won't get pregnant."

I wanted to smack her, but I couldn't because I was busy knitting.

Anyhow, a few months later I was a member of the Unofficial Guide for UCLA staff and they needed someone to write the sex section. Even though I was a silly freshman virgin and not planning on having sex any time soon, I volunteered because I felt like I could do a thorough job. There are so many old wives tales and urban legends spread around campus that simply are not true. I didn't want the guide to print a section that was totally cutesy like Lara Loewenstein's (hilarious) sex column. I wanted it to be an effective resource.

Unfortunately when I turned it in it was 15 pages too long--and I thought it wasn't long enough. Some of the stuff also wasn't suitable for print. All the basic info I gathered initially is here and I will be adding more info as I find time. That said, this site is not endorsed by the Unofficial Guide to UCLA or any other campus group.  It's an unofficial thing, for now.

Those practical reasons aside, my other reasons for creating this site are personal.

I know people who are in emotionally healthy relationships who are taking huge chances with STIs and pregnancy. I know people who were uneducated about STIs and contracted them because of abstinence only education. I know people who have been sexually abused, assaulted, or raped. I think the disastrous outcome of the UCLA Jane Doe case of 2003 was the result of sexual naiveté committed by Jane Doe and by the jurors and by general public.

I have always been able to openly talk about bodily functions (yay poop!) that are normally taboo (maxipads!). As I grew older and wiser this slowly started to include topics about sex. Unfortunately when you bring stuff like that up in polite conversation people either get embarrassed or think you're a slut. It scares me that people don't mind watching a movie like the Boondock Saints (good flick, btw) where people get executed left to right, but they would freak out if I chased them around with a bloody tampon.

I don't know exactly how it happened, but because of my openness to talk about sex I slowly became a resource for some of my friends, whether they were sexually active or just curious. One day I was talking to a friend and I realized that she wasn't using condoms because she was embarrassed to ask the SHA for some. Now, I pick up EVERYTHING people hand out on Bruinwalk because I like to read fliers, and I just happened to have a condom taped to a Bruin Democrats flier, so I gave it to her and she used it and I ended up dispensing condoms to some people on my floor (although with cold medicine and cough drops.)

But you know what? I'm lazy. I'm tired of answering the same questions because people are too embarrassed to go to the SHA or ask their doctor or visit a blatantly sex ed-looking website. Also, I'm fracking frightened, because every time someone asks me a question I wonder how many other people who don't know me have the same questions. Hence, Aces Lux, where you will learn condom pilfering strategies and sexual health info a bundles.

Oooh where can I find porn?

Not here, but um, elsewhere.

Why don't you have like, ultimate butterfly position 53 listed on this website?

Because even if I did know what that was, I wouldn't show you. Some things you just gotta keep to yourself, classic moves and trademarks and the such, you know? Or um, you know, just be creative?

No, seriously--in the end, your ability to perform blah blah position is worthless if you are uneducated or unhealthy.

But, um, you can always try Cosmo.

How do you know so much about sex? You must be a ho or something! Yayz!

Um, thanks. And see, that's the problem. In this culture, someone who is educated about sex is CLEARLY promiscuous instead of well informed doing everything she can to stay healthy and help other people stay healthy, right?

As to how I know so much? Medical texts and websites. The ability to read critical information without turning red.

And no, I'm not a hooker. I'm pretty boring, to tell the truth. Meh.

What is the Unofficial Guide to UCLA and where can I buy it?

The Unofficial Guide to UCLA can be found here.  It will be available in paperback at the UCLA store some time in 2006?  2007? You can contact the IVP Office for more information.

Can I email you a question?

Sure, but I can't guarantee if I can answer it, especially if the information is not already on the site. If you have the guts and privacy to do it, try googling it--just make sure the answer you get is from a trusted source. The most trustworthy source, of course, would be your doctor--and any question you e-mail me you should also ask them. I'm not a doctor, I'm just a college student. Be smart and get more than one opinion.

All inquiries and questions should be sent to aceslux@gmail.com

What are your sources?

Many of the sources I use can be found in the resources page of this website. If you know a doctor or nurse who would be willing to read over this site and confirm the information, that would be wonderful, send them my way. ^_^

I know about a service/clinic/something that you don't have on here?

It is entirely possible I've missed something, so please let me know if I have. When I was writing for the Unofficial Guide I only looked up stuff in the LA area, so I don't have information about other cities. But if you know of any other resources in LA or even at other schools like Berkeley, send them on over and I'll put them up. aceslux@gmail.com

Can I write for your website?

Yeah, sure! Send anything on over to aceslux@gmail.com

I found a mistake on Aces Lux, what should I do?

LET ME KNOW RIGHT AWAY. I don't want to be feeding anybody false information, especially about something as important as sexual health.

Can I host your website for you?

Sure.  It's currently hosted on a friend's server, but if you are affiliated with UCLA in any way that would make things even better.  This website is also supported by proceeds from people shopping at Undercover Condoms.  If you use the coupon ACESLUX, you save on shipping and I support the website.  It's a win-win situation!