Students take sex education into their own hands


Students take sex education into their own hands
Date 10/7/2004 12:00 AM | Topic: News
Sex education has a few new flavors.

On Wednesday, Sept. 29,
Sonja Chi ('06) a member of PRIDE (formerly known as actOUT and
GLBTA) demonstrated safe sex procedures using M&Ms, a mint
condom, olive oil and much more.
Other students have taken the initiative to see that students
are aware of safe sex options.
Resident Assistants in Brandt Hall, along with Hall Director
Chris Sowa, and JoEllen Anderson, director of
Health Service are putting
together a sex education program for first-year students called
"When The Lights Go Out.

" It may cover a lot of the same issues
that Chi covered for PRIDE.
The demonstration by Chi included information about contracting
sexually transmitted diseases, using latex as opposed to other
types of condoms and the importance of using a water-based
lubricant with condoms.
Chi blew up a condom and put vegetable oil on it. After ten
minutes of being exposed to the oil, the condom broke easily when
she touched it.


She informed the group about their condom options at Health
Service. She showed the group how to make a dental dam using a mint
flavored condom and the instructions that are available to all
students at Health Service.
She told the group about STD testing as
well.
According to Chi, Luther Health Service and Winneshiek County
Hospital have STD testing that can be done anonymously.

Each STD
testing file will be destroyed after six months.
Chris Sowa is helping RAs put together a sex education program
because he was exposed to much more sex education as a college
student.
"At public institutions, such as the University of Iowa, sex
education is weaved into the fabric of the institution mission,"
Sowa said. "The stigma of discussing sex and it leading to
students making decisions about having sex does not exist.

"
Although Anderson does not believe that there is a lack of
sex-ed on Luther's campus, she thinks that it is always
important.
"There are lots of choices for people. It's important for
students to know the consequences their actions could result in,"
said Anderson.
Josh Boettcher ('06), PRIDE member, thinks experiences like the
demonstration are important.


"With sex-ed at Luther, on the surface it seems like there
aren't enough avenues to learn about sex and disease prevention,"
Boettcher said. "However, if you get involved with a group where
talking about sex-related issues is a topic, more education is
provided."
Andrea Nelson ('05), also a PRIDE member,
agrees.
"If sex-ed was just typical sex-ed, it wouldn't be effective,"
Nelson said.


"Kids learn how to tune things
out. What needs to happen is stuff like tonight - what I never
learned in high school, like not wearing two condoms. Wearing
two condoms [at once] was huge in my high school."
Not all students agree that sex education is important at the
college level.


"Everybody is pretty educated about sex education," said Sarah
Olson ('06), junior class representative to Student Senate. I think
there are sources if you have questions. You should know [about
safe sex] by now."
Meghan Karels ('05), also a PRIDE member, thinks a big area in
which Luther lacks sex education is when it comes to sexual abuse
and the double standard between men and women.


"Part of sex education is talking about sexual abuse," said
Karels. "Its not talked about a whole lot because it's a touchy
subject. I think that the double standard toward women and men
being sexually active needs to be examined."
Nelson explains why she thinks Luther may lack sex
education.


"When I saw the diagram for the dental dam at Health Service, I
was pleasantly surprised," said Nelson. "That proves a point.
[Something like that] should be normal."
Jon Hoffman ('05), also a member of PRIDE, wishes to see more
sex education at Luther.


"Sex education needs to be a lot more prevalent, but not in its
current form," said Hoffman.
Hoffman took Ethics of Sexuality in Contemporary
America last year, a class
taught by Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre as a Paideia Capstone
course.
"It was the most enlightening experience I ever had," said
Hoffman.
Hoffman thinks that sex education needs to be presented in a
manner in which students can talk openly.


"I'm not saying that this opinion [to abstain from sex] is bad,"
Hoffman said. "My fear is that people haven't been given an
opportunity to make that decision. They have been told by pastors
and parents what to believe."
"Sex education should create a dialogue so people can think
about this issue that is extremely important to their lives,"
Hoffman said.


Sowa agreed with Hoffman's opinion.
"We can no longer imagine that the AIDS crisis is over or that
Luther students do not have sex," Sowa said. "It is true that some
students do not have sex ..

. let's celebrate that as we celebrate
those who choose to have it. And in celebrating I mean providing
education and resources for students to make healthy choices."
--
Lynn Juve

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