SEXpardy quizzes students
February 13, 2003
There would be no need for Sean Connery to butcher the category titles in Campus Women’s… There would be no need for Sean Connery to butcher the category titles in Campus Women’s Organization’s version of Jeopardy. All of the topics already dealt with sex.
CWO sponsored “SEXpardy” on Wednesday as a way to raise awareness about STDs and sexuality. The event was part of CWO’s Sex Week, which also included a marathon of “Sex and the City” episodes and a health fair.
“We want creative outlets to talk about sexuality,” CWO political action chair Jen Stephan said.
SEXpardy topics ranged from “biology” to “contraception” to “stimulation.”
Participants, for example, learned it is possible to contract a sexually transmitted disease from a toilet seat.
“It’s more of a wet toilet seat thing more than anything,” CWO president and SEXpardy moderator Alison Bodenhemier reassured contestants and audience members.
But according to Bodenhemier, trichomeniasis, a bacterial infection similar to gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be transmitted via toilet seat.
All three contestants were stumped by the trichomeniasis question, but correctly answered questions about the first known contraceptive used by the ancient Egyptians in 2000 B.C. – crocodile dung – and that 50 percent of men who work on farms admit to participating in bestiality, according to the Kinsey Report.
Contestants also learned that the only place in Pittsburgh that offers anonymous AIDS testing is the Pittsburgh AIDS Taskforce. Other clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, offer confidential testing, but it is not anonymous.
Another question asked was: Which group is most at risk for contracting AIDS in America? The answer was young women, although Stephan added that older black males are now the most at risk in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a vicious cycle,” Stephan said. She explained that older men have sex with younger, HIV positive women, spreading the disease.
Three audience members were randomly chosen to participate as game contestants. All three contestants were women, although several men attended.
“You’re all winners,” Bodenhemier said to the contestants. “You’re beating them,” she said, referring to the rest of the audience.
All three contestants won gift certificates to “Babes in Toyland,” a Pittsburgh store that sells sex toys and other items.
However, CWO also gave free condoms, dental dams and Powerpuff Girl Valentine cards to everyone who attended.
Contestant Alyssa Truszkowski said she will not use the gift certificate herself, but intends to give it to a friend. However, she admitted the game was educational and added that she had never heard about trichomeniasis.
“There are a bunch of STDs you don’t even hear about,” Bodenhemier said.
But according to secretary Brett Wiewiora, the goal of Sex Week is to help change that.
“We want to raise awareness in a fun way,” he explained.