This much is for certain'with tens of thousands of sexually-active college students on and around campus, there is going to be a lot of sex happening at UW-Madison. Yet in an age when sexually transmitted diseases can and do kill the uneducated, some students feel the need to turn to student organizations for critical information and answers about their sexual health.
Sex Out Loud is a UW-Madison student organization that provides \sexual health outreach, promotion and education on campus,"" presenting information to which students otherwise might not have access.
The goal of Sex Out Loud is to provide accurate and helpful information to students regarding sexual activity. Safe sex and HIV awareness are regularly included in various workshops conducted across campus by professionally trained Sex Out Loud members.
The organization has earned the respect of university health officials and the trust of students, who seem willing to listen to and learn information presented by peers, rather than a more impersonal, intimidating clinical setting.
Jessica Brumm, UW-Madison senior and member of Sex Out Loud, said the main reason for the success of the program is that the UW environment puts students at ease with what is termed ""peer education.""
Brumm said she believes students are always receptive to learning about these issues and social concerns, but the university is still not doing enough to help educate students about safe sexual practices and sexually transmitted diseases.
""They do very little, if anything ,in that regards,"" Brumm said.
UW-Madison senior Nicole Porto has not attended a Sex Out Loud program yet, but said she has heard positive things about the program from friends. Porto said she relies on the Internet for health information about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and the university could do a better job of advertising its health resources.
""UW should definitely be educating the female students to become educated, get tested and know,"" Porto said.
Robert McGrath, Director of Counseling and Consultation Services for University Health Services, said students rarely bring up questions about HIV to university counselors. He added that if unprotected sex or a man's first-time sex with another man is discussed, the counselor would then suggest condoms and STD testing.
McGrath also said there was not a demand from students for HIV prevention programs, but if sufficient student interest emerged, one would be put together.
Heidi Olson, a prevention worker at AIDs Network, said in order to be effective, HIV and sexual education should be targeted toward distinct populations and groups.
According to Olson, students as a group have two main risk factors'they are reluctant to use condoms and do not always get to know their partners before engaging in sexual activity. Olson said the presence of student organizations is integral to creating the atmosphere of communication, which is crucial to educating students who may be reluctant to talk openly about sexual issues.
""To be more effective you must first create a dialogue, you can't just tell someone to do something or not do something,"" Olson said.
