The University of Cincinnati (UC) Wellness Center and Pure Romance are promoting an event at UC called Sexploration. Sexploration is a week long sexual education event with events planned with names like Pizza and Porn, Got the Hook Up?, and America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty. All are free and open for the public to attend.
According to the radio, the titles were made as an attempt at humor. The organizers were hoping that making the title humorous would alleviate some of the discomfort associated with talking about sex. For instance, those who attended Pizza and Porn didn't sit around eating LaRosa's and watching Debbie Does Dallas. Instead, according to a student who attended, they had a debate about porn itself while eating pizza. No porn was shown, there was only a lively but civil discussion about the topic. Since even the Supreme Court has had trouble deciding what pornography is I would expect the discussion to be interesting indeed.
However, to the general public sex is a taboo subject, and UC promoting such an event has created some controversy. Enter Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk who received a PhD in Classics from UC in 1969. According to Mr. Pilarczyk:
“I find the ‘Sexploration’ program … to be profoundly disturbing,” Pilarczyk said. “The gross disregard of the moral sensibilities of many in the university community is troubling in the extreme.”
When it comes to speaking about morality those who live a glass house shouldn't be throwing rocks. I expect that Mr. Pilarczyk wouldn't approve of anything greater than abstinence. However, the reality is that "75% of UC students have had one or more sexual partners within the past year." Mr. Pilarczyk has decided to remain ignorant of sex, but 3 out of 4 UC students need to know more about it. Reality takes priority over "moral sensibilities".
The archbishop, who earned a doctorate in classics from UC, said he is offended as an alumnus and as a leader of the church. He said university money and resources should not support a program that has no academic value.
Neither does sports. Does that mean those should be done away with, too? Sexploration isn't "academic" anyway.
UC officials said the program focuses on sex education and is a response to student demand for more information on the topic.
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Wellness Center program director Regan Johnson told The Enquirer last week that the center had received requests from students for a sex education program and that it made sense to combine all of the events and activities into one week.
The UC Wellness Center doesn't use tuition or tax dollars, and is just responding to student demand. Those who might feel offended at the content aren't required to attend. Perhaps those complaining, like whoever sent the email to Mr. Pilarczyk, think that sex should be left to the parents. If that's the case students wouldn't be demanding more information from their school if the parents/clergy/whoever were giving the students the information they seek.
In some respects, I find myself also feeling profoundly disturbed at Sexploration. That students of college age demand such information from institutions of higher learning should tell us something about the sex education they've received before. Whether that be from school or their parents, that information has apparently been sorely lacking.
Our educational system and parents need to wake up. Young adults are having, and will have, sex. Not explaining to them methods of pregnancy prevention is ignorance at it's worst. This goes for the parents, teachers, and students. Perhaps some parents often reject the thought of teaching anything but abstinence, but their children are not them. I remember the "sex education" I received in high school, which involved showing what STDs can do. While sickening, the pictures had about zero effect on stopping the students from engaging in risky behavior.
If you are one of those who is upset by the number of abortions and pregnant teens there are, as I expect Mr. Pilarczyk is, you should be explaining condoms, birth control, and every method of contraception, including abstinence. The ones who are being taught are the ones who will have to deal with the consequences. If you don't give them all of the information, then you are as, or maybe even more, liable as the one who's taking the risk.
Fear and disgust, like the pictures I was shown in high school, can be an excellent deterrent under normal circumstances. However, you have to realize that endorphins override both of those emotions.
