Awkward yet informative. Uncomfortable yet important. Cringe-worthy yet influential. These words perfectly sum up the “Let’s Talk about Sex” talk. The bottom of the flier for this talk said “free food,” which probably was the main attraction for people to come. That was later confirmed when a line of more than 50 students gathered for food. Little did they know they were in for a very powerful, yet fun hour and a half.

The event was organized and presented by the campus nurse Michele Scott, two health professors, Stacie Conway and Bethany Berry, and two med students. The university couldn’t have chosen five better peers for this talk as they are educated on the subject, as they weren’t shy in delivering their answers, no matter how awkward they got, and they were once the sexually active teenagers/young adults that we are.

The speakers started off by answering questions revolving around general sex. “Is masturbation healthy?” “What is anal sex, and does it hurt?” “Can you have sex while on your period?” The speakers responded that you have to feel comfortable before indulging in these acts.

One of the medical students talked about masturbation; she said, “Everything in moderation is healthy, can relieve stress.” The other med student talked about anal sex; she answered, “Anal sex is sexual intercourse through the anal canal, and can be painful. Using lubricant will help.” Pertaining to the question of sex during one’s period, they all said yes, but that it can become messy and can leave a mark on your sheets.

The second set of questions pertained to general health of the female in terms of sexual intercourse and STIs. Common questions included “What are the downsides to sexual intercourse?” and “Should women see a gynecologist even if they aren’t sexually active?”

As a group they tackled these questions. They said, “Downsides to sexual intercourse are exposing your body to STDs or unplanned pregnancy.” For women who aren’t sexually active, Berry insisted they still see a gynecologist and make sure they are healthy when they are ready to begin sexual activity. Berry also said it is important to know your gynecologist so the doctor knows your body and can detect if something is not normal.

Now, getting into the scary part about any form of sexual activity: STIs. The speakers mentioned nine forms of STIs; let’s start with the bacterial ones mentioned.

First they talked about chlamydia, arguably the most known and feared. Chlamydia is caused through vaginal, anal or oral sex. It shows little to no symptoms; one in four men have no symptoms, and about 30 percent of women have symptoms.

Gonorrhea is an STI that is caused by ANY type of sex. If untreated, it can lead to infertility. Fortunately, symptoms are more noticeable. They include painful urination and pain in the genital region.

Syphilis is another STI that is hard to tell when you have it. As one of the medical students said, “It is sometimes called the great imitator, because the symptoms are hard to tell apart from other diseases.” Syphilis is passed through direct contact with a syphilis sore.

Next, they discussed the parasitic STI list. These STIs infect the intestines. These are usually transmitted through nonsexual intimate contact, but still can be transmitted sexually.

Crabs, also known as pubic lice, are small, six-legged creatures that are found mostly in teenagers; crabs spread during sexual activity.

The speakers also discussed trichomoniasis, which is a small parasite that is usually transmitted through penis-to-vagina contact.

The last form of STIs are the viral form. These are caused from viruses passed from  person to person and can be transmitted through sexual activity.

Genital warts, also known as human papillomavirus affects three out of four Americans between ages 15 and 49  with HPV at some point in their lives (Guttmacher Institute).

Secondly, hepatitis B, along with A and C, destroys the liver. Hepatitis B is most commonly spread through sexual activity.

Herpes, which is maybe the most known STI, is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.

The last STIs the speakers talked about are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)  and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).  HIV is a virus that changes the cell’s DNA. AIDS is caused by infection with HIV.

That is a lot of horrifying STDs AND STIs. How do we help prevent them? The most common means are correctly using male and female contraceptives. The speakers mentioned 10 female contraceptives: Oral, the ring, fertility awareness (used to get pregnant), the patch, female condom, sponge, spermicides (don’t use just spermicides), dams (for oral sex, STI protection), diaphragms (barrier over the cervix), shots and a permanent form of contraceptive (cut the fallopian tube).

The two male contraceptives are the condom and vasectomy, which is the male version of permanent contraceptive.

Questions that popped up revolving around contraceptives were: “Which female contraceptive is the most successful?” and there were a lot of questions on the pill.

The speakers said the most successful is obviously the permanent route, but other than that they said the implants that last up to three years are most successful.

Concerns over the pill include increase in acne, weight gain, cancer and disrupting a woman’s period cycle. Berry said it actually puts the person using this on a schedule and helps with one’s period. Berry also mentioned it has not been proven to cause weight gain. The pill also decreases acne and the chance of cancer. It usually takes one’s body three to six months to fully adjust to this form of contraceptive.

Overall, the “Lets Talk about Sex” event was educational and insightful. Talking about sex can be an awkward subject, but it is imperative that anyone taking part in sexual activities knows the dangers of unprotected sex, and which steps to take for a safer sexual experience.