April 3, 2011 GUEST BLOG POST by Kaitlyn Krauss
I get it–sex is a taboo topic. It’s something that shouldn’t be discussed in public let alone in front of people you don’t know. Yet I do this all the time. I know my dad would never tell his friends his daughter hosts “Safer Sex Parties” up at Penn State and I know my mom isn’t too happy that I demonstrate how to properly put on a condom, but it’s something I do and it’s something I love.
As a peer educator through University Health Services, I chose to become involved with the sexual health group. During my first year as a volunteer, I was elected the group leader. I believe that unsafe sex is one of the biggest problems that all college campuses face. It is important for everyone to be aware of the risks of sexual activities because STIs such as HPV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Genital Herpes are common on college campuses.
The CDC reports that 1 in 4 college students have been diagnosed with an STI in their lifetime. I don’t know about you but that statistic shocks me every time I hear it. It was my love of communication, volunteering and always wanting to help others that led me to become a peer educator. Regardless that not everyone agrees with what I do, I’d like to think it’s worth it, even if I help one person or change one persons mind.
Because of my experiences as a peer educator, I review research about the benefits of peer educators in talking to people about sex. One of these articles conducted in 2007 (
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a903650971) considered the question, “Does Peer Sexual Health Education training shift trainee’s own behavior towards health promotion and safer sex behavior?” Through a series of surveys and training programs, the study found that participants improved their STD knowledge and health-promotion counseling self-efficacy. This is something that I believe all peer educators should grasp before preaching safer-sex to hard-headed college students. Whenever I give a safer sex party, it’s new facts that often motivate people to change. By learning the facts and improving one’s training skills, peer educators become more valuable.
College students believe they are invincible and many won’t stop and think twice about something until they are hit with the consequences. STIs are serious and that is why I try to convince people to prevent them instead of deal with the problem when it arises. The study found that peer educators were a successful tool in training college students. A lot of the educators also changed their ways after going through the training. All of the health promotion competencies they learned in the study are necessary components of a peer education program that enhances the health of its clients. And that’s why I do this, to enhance the health of my clients, my peers, and my friends…
I get it–sex is a taboo topic. It’s something that shouldn’t be discussed in public let alone in front of people you don’t know. Yet I do this all the time. I know my dad would never tell his friends his daughter hosts “Safer Sex Parties” up at Penn State and I know my mom isn’t too happy that I demonstrate how to properly put on a condom, but it’s something I do and it’s something I love.