Experts talk about sex, drugs

Students might think they know everything about sex, but senior Twink Pham and the Student Health Center have a position or two they would like to present.

Pham, a student adviser in Blanton Hall, created a program called "Ten Sexual Positions," which provides information about sex and everything that goes with it, she said. The health center and counseling services sponsored the program.

"I had been working on this program for about a year, and I was just looking for a creative way to provide information," she said. "The 10 sexual positions are not actual physical positions. They are different positions, or views, about sex."

Members of both sexes were informed of different issues concerning sex from several points of view. Pham said the University Counseling Services, the health center, the Department of Public Safety, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Student Public Health Association and Planned Parenthood were used to convey her message.

"We are strongly encouraged to use the resources here on campus, and for the most part I did, and they were great." She said.

Pham said the presented views included risk assessment, abstinence, homosexual and lesbian relationships, the escort service provided by the Department of Public Safety and alternative options provided by Planned Parenthood.

"The students were more apt to learn because they chose to be there, and they were in command of their education," she said.

Adding to the atmosphere of the program was sophomore J.C. Scholfield, who played the part of "Condom Man."

"He was hilarious," she said. "... He actually fabricated his own shorts out of garbage bags and had a belt made of condoms and everything, ..." she said.

Pham said some of the contraceptives discussed included birth control medication and both male and female condoms, for which the proper use was demonstrated on replicas of human genitalia provided by the health center.

"This presentation may have included information that they had already heard before, but these are things that you can never hear too many times," she said. "The students even learned how to put a condom on correctly, which a lot of girls, and even some guys, are not sure of."

The health center and the counseling services employ a wide variety of educational programs for organizations, classes or students who want to learn more about a specific subject.

Brenda Higgins, director of the health center, said most of the center's programs are developed around specific requests.

"Our most popular programs are generally related to sex or topics that are specifically current," she said. "... If it is flu season, students may be more interested in a program about influenza."

Joe Hamilton, assistant director of counseling services, said the programs it offers cover a wide variety of topics, including time management, alcohol and drug use, sex and relationships and overall physical and mental well-being. However, there are many other options.

"Anyone can call us with a program idea, and we will certainly work with them to develop one to suit their needs," he said.

Many programs are used each year, and Hamilton said that last year, 6,324 individuals attended the estimated 170 programs presented through counseling services.

"We have received a pretty positive response for the programs," he said. "When someone likes it, they use it again, and in turn, others hear about them, and people keep requesting them."

Other programs also are available, such as National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 5. Students can set up a professional consultation and participate in a screening to determine whether they are suffering from depression. All information is confidential.

Hamilton said more programs will be offered next semester, including a National Eating Disorders Screening Program and National Alcohol Screening Day. Online screenings for these topics and more also are available year-round online.

To schedule a presentation, students can call the health center at 785-4182 or counseling services at 785-4014. Programs must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance to avoid conflicts.

For additional information about the screenings, students can visit counseling service's Web site at http://ucs.truman.edu.