Des Moines Register Profiles Sex, Sexuality Courses In Iowa Universities

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 28 Feb 2008 - 9:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Des Moines Register on Monday profiled the increasing diversity of courses offered at Iowa's public universities that discuss sex and sexuality. The University of Iowa has 35 course sections for spring that contain the word "sex" in the titles. University of Northern Iowa professor Harry Brod launched a new course last fall, called "Just Sex: The Ethics of Intimacy," which discusses abortion rights, when conception occurs and other issues.

According to the Register, although there is "no disputing" the classes' popularity, some Iowans wonder if public universities should spend public funds on courses that are "more essential." State Rep. Mike May (R) said, "It does give me pause when I see we're expending so many resources on classes" about sexuality, adding, "On the other hand, I don't want to micromanage the regents' universities."

Sandra Caron -- a human sexuality professor at the University of Maine and founder of the Web site collegesextalk.com -- said college students are often desperate to learn about sex because they often have not received adequate sex education. "Sex education [in K-12 schools] is too little, too late, too biological," Caron said, adding, "We don't incorporate the relationship aspect. It's no wonder our human sexuality classes across the country are packed." People ages 15 to 24 represent about 25% of the sexually active population in the U.S. but make up almost 50% of all new sexually transmitted infections, according to CDC. The birth rate among females ages 15 to 19 increased by 3% nationwide in 2006 -- the first increase of the rate in 14 years, CDC recently reported.

Mike Hartwig, president of Marriage Matters of Iowa, said the interest in sex courses does not stem from inadequate sex education for children. Hartwig said he does not have a problem with the state's public universities teaching courses on sex and sexuality. He added, "The problem I would have would be with our regents taking taxpayer dollars and offering classes on the techniques of sex or being a better lover" (Jordan, Des Moines Register, 2/25).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2007 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.