Let's talk about sex: Medical students stimulate discussion

They're called "woodies," "boners" and "hard-ons." A guy might be "pitching a flagpole" or having a "stiffie." However you refer to it , the male penile erection is hardly an easy topic to discuss -- especially with a straight face. The synonyms brought laughter to a roomful of first-year Medical students. But they also introduced the difficult and much more serious task of teaching adolescents about sex and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Yesterday's second installment of a six-session Medical School elective course -- "Students Teaching AIDS to Students" -- featured Bret Rudy of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who conducted an exercise in learning about different names for sex and sex-related topics. The STATS course -- led by coordinators Justin Chura and Jessica Weiser, both second-year Medical students -- teaches Medical students how to effectively communicate with middle- and high-school level kids on the issues surrounding sex and STDs. Chura, however, insisted that STATS' purpose is not to lecture students on the biological or immunological bases of AIDS or STDs, but to "focus on affecting behavioral change" in regard to sex. After completing the course, the students in STATS -- a national organization -- will put their skills to use in nearby West Philadelphia schools. Pairs of students will teach classes in two 45-minute sessions, focusing on answering the questions of curious and confused adolescents. "We're trying to uncover myths [about sex] without undermining values the kids have from their parents or religions," said Chura, who noted that most teachers are "supportive" of the group's candid instruction. The class, which is held in Stemmler Hall, covered a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from the role of socialization, which affects how kids view and talk about sex to the varying opinions on how a girl does and does not "lose her virginity." Rudy also led the class in a discussion on the importance of the clarification of sexual terminology used with adolescents. "You need to explore what they think of as sex and to remember what you're talking about in terms of sex," he said. The session also touched on the social "vilification" of masturbation and ways in which student teachers can answer sometimes embarrassing questions. Future sessions will cover STDs and racial sensitivity in teaching sexual issues. First-year Medical student Maia Rutman joined STATS because of its participatory role in the West Philadelphia community. "We can go [into the schools] with information instead of trying to play doctor and getting in the way," first-year Medical student Raj Shah of the program. "It's one of the most valuable things we can do."