This article was downloaded by: [Western Kentucky University] On: 31 October 2014, At: 07:04 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of American College Health Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vach20
An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions about Human Sexuality a
Robert F. Valois PhD, MPH & Kathryn A. Waring RN, MEd
b
a
Department of Health Promotion and Education , School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina , Columbia, USA b
Health Promotion and Education Program , College of Education at the University of Texas , Austin, USA Published online: 09 Jul 2010.
To cite this article: Robert F. Valois PhD, MPH & Kathryn A. Waring RN, MEd (1991) An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions about Human Sexuality, Journal of American College Health, 39:6, 263-268, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1991.9936243 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1991.9936243
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions About Human Sexuality
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ROBERT F. VALOIS, PhD, MPH, and KATHRYN A. WARING, RN, MEd
This study analyzed the frequency and type of questions about sex and sexuality that were anonymously submitted by college undergraduates enrolled in personal health education courses at three universities. More than 1,300 queries were submitted by 626 students (249 men and 377 women) from an original pool of 644 possible subjects. Questions asked most often fell into six general categories: sexual arousaUresponse, general anatomy/physiology, contracep tion, datinglrelationships, pregnancy/fertility, and sexually transmitted diseases. Queries concerning sexual arousaUre sponse accounted for just over 30% of the questions from men and 25% of the questions from women. Women asked nearly twice as many questions about pregnancy and contraception as men did, and men asked far more about general anatomy/physiology and sexually transmitted diseases than women did. Chi-square analysis identified a significant association @ < .001) between the sex of the questioner and the categories of sexual arousal/response and pregnancy/fertility. Physicians, psychologists, nurses, counselors, and educators should be aware that a considerable degree of sexual uncertainty still exists among college undergraduates. The authors concluded that the anonymous-submission technique was an effective means of enhancing the learning process and meeting student needs in sexuality education.
Premarital sex among American adolescents and young adults is increasing, and evidence suggests that this increase will continue.' Data based on samples of undergraduate men and women at Wake Forest College in North Carolina showed a decrease in the average age of first intercourse from 18 years for men and 18.8 years for women in 1970 to 17 years for men and 17.6 years
Robert F. Valois is an assistant professor with the Department of Health Promotion and Education in the School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and Kathryn A. Waring is an assistant instructor in the Health Promotion and Education Program of the College of Education at the University of Texas, Austin.
VOL 39, MAY 7991
for women in 1981.* In Maywood, Illinois, a lower middle-class community (one third each black, Latino, and white), an informal survey of the sexual history of 100 patients seen in a medical clinic in 1987 indicated that the average age of first coitus was 12.5 years for the males and 14.5 years for the female^.^ The negative consequences of early sexual activity are viewed as "significant health problems" in the United States today.4 More than 1 million teenagers become pregnant each year, most of them unintentionally; approximately 416,000 have abortion^,^ 472,000 give birth,' and the remainder miscarry. In recent years, the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has increased among teenagers, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) now poses another threat to sexually active adolescents. Studies have indicated that a vast majority of all teachers consider it appropriate for schools to provide sex education.' Most Americans believe that students who take sex education courses are less likely than those who do not to become (or to get someone) pregnant, are more likely to practice birth control if they do have intercourse, and are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease.' For young adults who must deal with sexual issues on a daily basis, sex education has the potential to enhance knowledge and such effective skills as communication and decision makingg Teaching about methods of contraception has reportedly helped slow the birthrate in several population groups.'O In addition, sexuality education has contributed to greater acceptance of such variant lifestyles as the single-parent family and homosexual relationships, thus decreasing hostility in our ~ o c i e t y . ~ College students are generally assumed to "know it all" about sex, but in spite of widely available literature and explicit media portrayals, many students have only a limited understanding of their sexuality. Some are reasonably knowledgeable about and comfortable with their sexuality, but others, more typically, are not. The negative result is usually embarrassment because of
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COLLEGE HEALTH what the students perceive as excessive ignorance and their fear of ridicule if they openly seek the sexuality information they need. Young adults usually obtain sex information informally from1 sources such as the church, parents, and peers, who often provide messages that may have an impact on sexual knowledge, attitudes, and, sometimes, behavior.” Unfortunately, these sources of information often lead to misconceptions and unanswered questions about human sexuality that students bring to college.12 The students’ confusion is also a reflection of their particular stage of psychosexual development. College students’ needs for education in human sexuality must be addressed in the cla~sroom,’~ where students can get accurate information, share ideas and feelings, and clarify their values. Orgasm, sexual technique, virginity, and STDs are sensitive topics, and teachers must establish confidentiality as the accepted practice in responding to student concerns and questions. The anonymous question box is an effective vehicle for addressing student needs and assuring confidentiality. We analyzed the frequency and type of questions about sexuality that were anonymously submitted by college undergraduates at three major universities. The results of this study were then used to guide the sexuality component of personal health education COUrseij at each institution.
METHOD We gave students in personal health classes at a large southwestern university, a small midwestern university, and a mid-sized midwestern university an opportunity to submit anonymous queries relating to sex and sexuality. Students could submit as many questions as they wished on any appropriate sex-related topic. Each student was supplied with a plain 8% x 11-inch sheet of paper and given approximately 20 minutes to prepare questiolns. Submissions were identified by sex of the questioner only. This procedure was conducted before the beginning of the sexuality education component of the health education course at each school. Our investigation spanned 5 semesters, beginning in fall 1987 and ending with the fall semester of 1989. We did not include summer sessions because of the difference in summer students from those who attend the fall and spring semesters. The majority of our subjects were in freshman or sophomore classes. When data collection was complete, we separated submissions according to the sex of the questioner, then categorized the questions into one of six general topic areas. These were sexual arousallresponse, anatomylphysiology, contraception, dating/relationships, STDs, and pregnancylfertility. The qualitative process for examining the questions involved discussions among the investigators and subjective decision making to determine assignment to a category. The majority of sexual queries were easily categorized. Some questions, however, did not indi-
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cate the sex of the originator. We classified those on the basis of the tone and nature of the specific query. For example, if the question dealt with testicular examination and was in the first person, the investigators placed it with the male-originated queries. Some questions were not sexual in nature, were difficult to categorize, or were unreadable and were eliminated from the study. The major categories were not determined in advance but evolved from the data submitted and logical placement for ease of comparison.
RESULTS We received 1,346 queries, 506 from men and 840 from women; each of the 626 participating students at the three universities submitted at least one question. When we analyzed the data, we noted several trends. The greatest percentage of questions from both men and women students fell into the category of sexual arousallresponse (30.8% of men‘s questions, 25.3% of women’s). Only 6.9% of the queries from men asked about pregnancylfertility; women posed 13.6% of their questions about that subject. Men’s questions about anatomylphysiology were almost double those of women (18.9% v 9.6%). More than 23% of the women’s questions concerned contraception, whereas 14.5% of the men’s did so. Questions about STDs accounted for only 10.3% of the men‘s queries and 4.4% of the women’s (see Table 1). Sexual arousalhesponse (27.4%) and datinghelationships (21.6%) were the two categories that attracted the highest percentage of queries when we combined figures from men and women. Pregnancylfertility (1 1.1 %) and sexually transmitted diseases (6.5%) attracted the fewest questions. To determine whether any statistically significant associations existed among men and women and the categories of questions related to sexuality, we subjected these data to further statistical treatment. The most appropriate measure of association for qualitative data for this study was the chi-square test. According to Hays,I4 the chi-square value calculated on a 1 x K table can be divided into partial chi-square values so that the sum of U - 1)(K - 1) i s equal to the value of chi-square for the total table. This principle is equivalent to the creation of “shadow tables” or 2 x 2 partial subtables of the total. Chi-square analysis for the total table involved a crosstabulation of all the columns (major categories) by rows (men-women). Results of this analysis indicated a total chi-square value of 70.35 and a significant difference (p < .001) between sex of the questioner and the major categories of questions. We subsequently performed a shadow table analysis on these qualitativelcategorical data representing the six major topics or categories. This 2 x 2 shadow chisquare analysis compared each major topic or category with the remaining topics by sex of questioner to deter-
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QUESTIONS ABOUT SEXUALITY TABLE 1 Major Categories of Anonymous Questions Submitted by Gender, Frequency, and Percentage, Including Shadow Chi-square Results
Women
Men Major categoryltopic
n
%
%total
n
%
Total %total
N
Shadow %
X2
27.4 13.2 20.2 21.6 11.1 6.5 100
4.75 31.24* 4.04
~
Arousalhesponse Anatomy/physiology Contraception Datinglrelationships FertiIitylpregnancy STDs Totals
156 96 73 94 35 52 506
30.8 18.9 14.5 18.6 6.9 10.3 100
11.6 7.1 5.5 7.0 2.6 3.7 37.5
213 81 198 197 114 37
840
25.3 9.6 23.6 23.5 13.6 4.4 100
15.89 6.1 14.7 14.6 8.5 2.8 62.5
36 177 271 291 149 89 1,346
1.00
28.98* 0.34 70.35
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Note: All comparisons at 5 df. 'Indicates a significant @ < .001) association between major categon//topic and gender.
mine whether any significant associations existed among the variables. When these findings were reported, however, gender never accounted for more than 15% of the variance in frequency. Questions from men and women were clearly more similar than they were different, even when they appeared most unlike. The chi-square value for categories was 239.74 (v 70.35 for gender). That is, the differences in what students asked about (as opposed to chance) were greater than the differences between students of different sexes. We identified a significant association between sexual anatomy/ physiology and gender, p < .001, and between pregnancy/fertility and gender, p < .001. What types of questions did students submit?The lists in the Appendix represent the most frequently asked questions. In addition, we have included a few of the distinctive questions submitted. DISCUSSION Our data suggested several salient considerations for those who deal with the sexual health and well-being of college undergraduates. For datinghelationships and birth control to account for 41.8% of the total "need to know" requests is somewhat alarming in view of the social problems related to adolescent pregnancy, divorce, and sexual violence. That students, both men and women, asked so few questions about STDs may be the most important of our findings. Because of their age and lifestyle, students are at risk for Chlamydia trachomatis, which is largely asymptomatic, and for gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, and hepatitis B.'5*'6 To date, few college students have contracted AIDS, but it continues to spread into the general population. One fifth of those who are HIV positive are in their 20s, and many of them were exposed in their Regardless of their personal risk, students are likely to be affected by AIDS as friends or family members become infected.22
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We found that women understood their bodily functions and asked fewer questions (both in number and percentage) about anatomylphysiology than men but asked about fertility/pregnancy twice as often as men. Although men seemed concerned about sexual technique and performance, the women continued to carry the major responsibility for pregnancy.
Implications for Sexuality Education A college course in human sexuality and the sexeducation component of any personal health course or outreach program should include adequate coverage of the major categories of questions submitted by students in this study. "Safer sex" and "responsible sexual behavior" messages should be heard from all campus health professionals concerned with the health and effectiveness of the college-aged student. Asking students to print sexual questions on blank sheets of paper or index cards and submit them anonymously (the "open question box" technique) enables professionals to respond to students' concerns without the students' feeling threatened with condemnation from peers or instructors. Instructors can use the questions to identify specific topics to be taught. Questions and answers can also be presented in the classroom as a method of providing answers for both the students who originally asked the questions and those who did not. It has been suggested that for every student with a question there are at least 10 others with the same question who never ask.9 In using this method in a group or classroom setting, it is usually effective to paraphrase the question so as not to embarrass anyone. It is also helpful to comment on how good the questions are and to thank the students for submitting them. Students sometimes express concern about asking what they think might be "dumb" questions. This is a perfect opportunity to say that few people know all there is to know about the subject and add that there is no such thing as a dumb question about sex and sexuality.
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COLLEGE HEALTH Physicians, counselors, psychologists, and nurses play an essential role in educating college students about sexuality. Questions in our study fell into two very broad categories: those based upon the need for sound factual information and those that reflected the students’ concern with their physiological, behavioral, and emotional normality. Health professionals should observe and treat the student, not preach, infantilize, or impose individual value^.^ Clinical and counseling professionals can give the students full and explicit information, including medical consequences and options for individual choice and and can counsel them through their sexual confusion and distres~.’~ It is not enough to engage in simple, nonjudgmental listening. The professional i s obligated to make a clinical judgment about a client’s health behavior. The spirit of the term is “noncondemnatory listening,” that is, accepting the person while sorting out and evaluating the behavior and the physical and emotional status so that counseling can proceed effectively.’ It is imperative to educate and counsel in a manner that does not draw attention to the student’s ignorance or uncertainty and does not threaten his or her self-esteem. “As YOU probably know . . .” and “You may be aware o f . . .” are phrases that can be tactful introductions to a variety of sexual-health information and counseling interactions. Tact ilnd warmth are essential qualities in the delicate balancing act of recognizing a young person’s lack of sexual information and in providing information in a manner’ free from condescension. It is also imperative to use proper terminology for sexual anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Accurate use of terms enhances the communication process and enables the students to express their concerns more freely and with less embarrassment. Healthcare professionals should at all times be approachable, should encourage students to ask questions freely, and should commend them for seeking accurate information. The most predictable aspect of college students’ queries about sex and sexuality is that they will have them. Keeping perspective on students’ psychosexual stages of development and anticipating their sometimes unusual questions gives students the feeling of freedom to ask questions relating to sexuality. With sound professional advice, education, and counseling, these students may effectively travel the path of healthy sexual maturation.
Do men get more easily excited than women? Why? Is oral sex unhealthy? What does cum taste like? Is masturbation normal? Are there really such things as aphrodisiacs? Do drugs affect sexual performance?Arousal? Is it harder for a woman to have an orgasm than it is for a man? How important are simultaneous orgasms? Does it hurt to have sex? Can a guy’s penis be too big for a girl? Why do guys reach orgasm so quickly? Is it my fault? Is there such a thing as a multiple orgasm? Anatomy/physiology What is the G spot?Where is it? What is a Pap smear? Does it hurt when you get one? What is the most sensitive part of the penis? Is it true that men must have ejaculations fairly regularly for physical reasons? Is it better to have a wide or a long penis? Does penis size matter in having sex? Do some women actually ejaculate when they orgasm? At what age should you teach your children about sex? Is a circumcised penis better for sex? Contraception What is the best form of birth control? What are the hazards of taking birth control pills? What are the chances of becoming pregnant while on the pill? How does the pill affect the menstrual cycle? Do condoms really reduce stimulation for guys? How effective is the contraceptive sponge? What are the most recent developments in male contraceptives? How long does sperm live after intercourse? Datinghelationships Is sex OK if you are just dating? Are one-night stands bad? Why do guys only want one thing (sex)? How can a girl ask a guy out without the guy being offended? What is love? How do you know if you are in love? Why are people gay? What are gay relationships like? FertiIity/pregnancy What time of the month can you easily get pregnant? Can a female get pregnant without penetration? Are pregnancy tests reliable? Does abortion make later pregnancies more complicated? What is the latest time you should wait to get an abortion?
APPENDIX Questions Asked Most Frequently by Undergraduate Women
SexualI y transm itted diseases What are the signs and symptoms of various types of STDs? What is an STD? What i s gonorrhea? How would I know if I had an STD? Who do you see if you think you have an STD? Is a vaginal infection the same as an STD? What exactly is AIDS? How is AIDS contracted? Where did AIDS come from? How did it start? Can you contract HIV from oral sex? Can you have HIV and not have AIDS?
Arousallresponse What is an orgasm? How do you know when you really have one? Are men really more interested in sex than women? Why? What are some ways to excite a male?
Distinctive questions Is it painful for guys wearing tight jeans to get an erection? Do they use the same birth control methods in other countries? Can taking the pill affect the size of your eyes? Can a woman get pregnant with anal sex?
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QUESTIONS ABOUT SEXUALIN Do men enjoy oral sex or do they do it just to please their partner? Are you only supposed to have sex in the dark? Is it OK to think of other people while I’m having sex with my partner? Is it weird just to think about having sex with someone of the same sex? I don’t really enjoy having my breasts or nipples touched. Is there something wrong with me? What is the maximum number of times a guy can cum in one night?
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Questions Asked Most Frequently by Undergraduate Men Aroudresponse Why do women take longer to have an orgasm than men? Is oral sex harmful? Who has the greatest sex drive, men or women? When do men and women reach their sexual peak? What causes impotence? What causes homosexual behavior? How do drugs affect sexual stimulation? How does alcohol affect sexual arousal and performance? Is it normal for a guy, once in a while, not to be able to have an erection while being stimulated? What are aphrodisiacs? Is it weird not to want sex a lot? Can a penis actually be too big for a girl? Can you hurt yourself long term by having too much sex now? Why do women need a lot of foreplay? Anatomy/physiology What is a Graffenberg spot? How are twins produced? What is the average size of a penis? Contraception Can a man ejaculate after a vasectomy? Does it hurt when you have one? How effective is the sponge? How effective is a condom? How dangerous is the pill? What is the best time of month to prevent pregnancy? What is the best (most effective) form of birth control (besides abstinence)? Datinglrelationships How do you know when it’s “love“? Is it OK to have more than one person in your sex life? How do people recover from a break-up? How can I improve my ability to let my partner know what I like in sexual activity? Is being a virgin during college psychologically damaging? FertiIitylpregnancy Can a girl get pregnant without sexual intercourse? How long do you have to wait to get a pregnancy test? What is the safest kind of abortion? At what time of the month does a woman usually ovulate? Sexually transmitted diseases How is herpes contracted? What is the best way to prevent STDs? What are the signs and symptoms of various STDs? Can an STD kill you? Can you get herpes from oral sex? Can a guy get an STD if his girl has a yeast infection? What are genital warts and how are they caused? Is chlamydia as bad as herpes?
VOL39, MAY 1991
Can you really get an STD from a toilet seat? What is AIDS and how is it caused? Do men get AIDS easier than women? Will most gay men eventually get AIDS? Can you have AIDS and not really have the symptoms? Distinctive questions What harm does Chlorox bleach have on a female when used as a form of birth control? When two males have sex with a female (different times, of course) and the girl becomes pregnant and has twins, could one baby be one of the guy’s and the other baby the other guy’s? Or is one of the guys responsible for both babies? Does a man ever have a contraceptive safe period in his sexual career? Can sex be addictive like drugs and alcohol? I’ve only thought about it a few times, but do I need major help if I‘ve only thought about having sex with my brother? How about my sister?
INDEX TERMS college students, personal health education, sex counseling, sexuality education
NOTE Address correspondence to Robert F. Valois, PhD, Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, 216 Health Science Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
REFERENCES 1. Rouche JP. Premarital sex: Attitudes and behavior by dating stage. Adolesc. 1986;11(81):107-121. 2. Earle JR, Perricone PJ. Premarital sexuality: A ten year study of attitudes and behavior on a small university campus. I Sex Res. 1986;22(3):304-310. 3. Renshaw DC. Sex and the 1980s college student. I Am Coll Health. 1989;37:154-157. 4. Parcel GS. Development of an instrument to measure attitudes toward the personal use of premarital contraception. I School Health. 1975;45:157-159. 5. Henshaw SK, Van Vort J. Patterns and trends in teenage abortion and pregnancy. In: Teenage Pregnancy in the United States: The Scope of the Problem and States‘ Responses. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute; 1989. 6. National Center for Health Statistics. Advance report of final natality statistics. Monthly Vital Statistics Report 7986. 1988;37(3)(suppl). 7. Forrest JD, Silverman J. What public school teachers teach about pregnancy prevention and AIDS. Fam Plann Perspect. 1989;2 1:March/ApriI. 8. Harris L, et al. Public Attitudes Toward Teenage Pregnancy, Sex Education and Birth Control. New York: 1988:24. 9. Kirby D. Sexuality education: A more realistic view of its effects. I Sch Health. 1985;55(10):421-424. 10. Newcomer SF. Does sexuality education make a difference? New York: Planned Parenthood Federation of America; 1985. 11. Strouse J, Fabes RA. Formal versus informal sources of sex education: Competing forces in the sexual socialization of adolescents. Adolesc. 1985;10(78):251-263. 12. Caron 5, Bertran R. What college students want to know about sex. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality. April 1988: 18-25.
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COLLEGE HEALTH 13. Timmreck TC, Cole CE, JamesG , Butterworth DD. The health education and health promotion management: A theoretical jungle. Health Educ. OctlNov 1987:24-28. 14. Hays WL. Statistics, 4th ed. New York: Holt Rinehart Winston. 1988:796-801. 15. Spear SF, Deger DK. Screening for chlamydia by university health centers: Is it necessary and feasible? Am Coll Health. I989;37:293-295. 16. Collins M. Hepatitis B: The lastest sexually transmitted disease. / Am Coll Health. 1989;37:297-298. 17. Manning DT, Barenberg N,Gallese L, Rice JC. College students’ knowledge and health beliefs about AIDS: lmplications for education and prevention. j Am Coll Health. 1989; 37:254-;!59. 18. The National Adolescent Health Survey: A Report on the Health of America’s Youth. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute on Drug Abuse; 1988:37. 19. US Centers for Disease Control. AIDS Weekly Surveillance. February 20, 1989. 20. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Center for infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control. HIVIAIDS Surveillance; June 1990. 21. Surgeon General’s Report on Acquired lmmune Deficiency Syndrome. Washington, DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1986. 22. Haffner DW. AIDS and adolescents: School health education must begin here. / Sch Health. 1988;50:154-155. 23. Renshaw DC. tntimacy and intercourse. Medicdl Aspects of Human Sexuality. 1984; 18(2):70-76. 24. Renshaw DC. Relationship therapy for sex problems. Compr 7her. 1983;9(6):32-39. 25. Valois RF. An evaluation of the effects of a human sexuality program on the attitudes of university residence hall students. Eta Sigma Gamma Monographs. 1984;2(2):15-21. 26. Valois RF, Ory JC, Stone DB. A study of the relationship between cognitive and affective taxonomic performance in health education. Adv Health Educ: Current Res. 1989:2: 27-45
RESEARCH NETWORK The Research Committee of the American College Health Association is assembling a network of health centers interested in collaborating in research studies. This would include multisite studies as well as collaborations on single-site projects. If your health center or individuals in it would be interested in being part of a network, call or write Brett Steenbarger, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Health Science Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, (315) 473-8120. Please include a statement describing the nature of your interest and giving details about your campus ,and health center. A networking list of interested individuals and campuses will be sent to all respondents.
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CALLS FOR PROPOSALS In response to the interest of the ACHA task forces on Ethnic and Minority Involvement and on HIV Infection and AIDS, and of the Peer Education Workshop, the journal of American College Health i s soliciting proposals for papers to be published in two future special issues.
Peer Education Training outcome and evalution, general v topic-driven programs, recruitment, structure possibilities, and histories of existing programs are all appropriate subjects for this special issue. Deadline for receipt of proposals is September 1, 1991. Notification of the editors’ decision will be by October 15, 1991. Send three copies of proposals to Paula Swinford, JACH Peer Education, USC Student Health Center, 849 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0311.
Health and College Students of Color Paper proposals for this issue should address at least one of the following college health topics: racismlsexism; interracial conflict; group differences; cross-ethnic cornmunication; accuIturationladjustment to campus life; social and academic stressors; coping; developmental issues; helpseeking; demographic trends; pluralism/diversity; health educationlpromotion, or healthcare interventions for students of color. Deadline for receipt of proposals i s October 1, 1991. Notice of the editors’ decisions will be by November 1, 1991. Send three copies of proposals to Karen H. C. Huang, PhD, Health of College Students of Color, Counseling and Psychological Services, Cowell Student Health Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-8580.
Specifications In both cases, proposals should be 3 to 5 double-spaced, typed pages and should provide (a) the objectives of the paper, (b) a detailed outline of the paper’s content, (c) a statement concerning the relevance of the paper to college health, (d) a description of any research conducted, and the results. Proposals accepted for inclusion in the special issue will be assigned an editor who will work directly with the author in shaping the final manuscript, which will also be reviewed by one of the executive editors of lACH.
IACH
Journal of American College Health Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vach20
An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions about Human Sexuality a
Robert F. Valois PhD, MPH & Kathryn A. Waring RN, MEd
b
a
Department of Health Promotion and Education , School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina , Columbia, USA b
Health Promotion and Education Program , College of Education at the University of Texas , Austin, USA Published online: 09 Jul 2010.
To cite this article: Robert F. Valois PhD, MPH & Kathryn A. Waring RN, MEd (1991) An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions about Human Sexuality, Journal of American College Health, 39:6, 263-268, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1991.9936243 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1991.9936243
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
An Analysis of College Students' Anonymous Questions About Human Sexuality
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ROBERT F. VALOIS, PhD, MPH, and KATHRYN A. WARING, RN, MEd
This study analyzed the frequency and type of questions about sex and sexuality that were anonymously submitted by college undergraduates enrolled in personal health education courses at three universities. More than 1,300 queries were submitted by 626 students (249 men and 377 women) from an original pool of 644 possible subjects. Questions asked most often fell into six general categories: sexual arousaUresponse, general anatomy/physiology, contracep tion, datinglrelationships, pregnancy/fertility, and sexually transmitted diseases. Queries concerning sexual arousaUre sponse accounted for just over 30% of the questions from men and 25% of the questions from women. Women asked nearly twice as many questions about pregnancy and contraception as men did, and men asked far more about general anatomy/physiology and sexually transmitted diseases than women did. Chi-square analysis identified a significant association @ < .001) between the sex of the questioner and the categories of sexual arousal/response and pregnancy/fertility. Physicians, psychologists, nurses, counselors, and educators should be aware that a considerable degree of sexual uncertainty still exists among college undergraduates. The authors concluded that the anonymous-submission technique was an effective means of enhancing the learning process and meeting student needs in sexuality education.
Premarital sex among American adolescents and young adults is increasing, and evidence suggests that this increase will continue.' Data based on samples of undergraduate men and women at Wake Forest College in North Carolina showed a decrease in the average age of first intercourse from 18 years for men and 18.8 years for women in 1970 to 17 years for men and 17.6 years
Robert F. Valois is an assistant professor with the Department of Health Promotion and Education in the School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and Kathryn A. Waring is an assistant instructor in the Health Promotion and Education Program of the College of Education at the University of Texas, Austin.
VOL 39, MAY 7991
for women in 1981.* In Maywood, Illinois, a lower middle-class community (one third each black, Latino, and white), an informal survey of the sexual history of 100 patients seen in a medical clinic in 1987 indicated that the average age of first coitus was 12.5 years for the males and 14.5 years for the female^.^ The negative consequences of early sexual activity are viewed as "significant health problems" in the United States today.4 More than 1 million teenagers become pregnant each year, most of them unintentionally; approximately 416,000 have abortion^,^ 472,000 give birth,' and the remainder miscarry. In recent years, the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has increased among teenagers, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) now poses another threat to sexually active adolescents. Studies have indicated that a vast majority of all teachers consider it appropriate for schools to provide sex education.' Most Americans believe that students who take sex education courses are less likely than those who do not to become (or to get someone) pregnant, are more likely to practice birth control if they do have intercourse, and are less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease.' For young adults who must deal with sexual issues on a daily basis, sex education has the potential to enhance knowledge and such effective skills as communication and decision makingg Teaching about methods of contraception has reportedly helped slow the birthrate in several population groups.'O In addition, sexuality education has contributed to greater acceptance of such variant lifestyles as the single-parent family and homosexual relationships, thus decreasing hostility in our ~ o c i e t y . ~ College students are generally assumed to "know it all" about sex, but in spite of widely available literature and explicit media portrayals, many students have only a limited understanding of their sexuality. Some are reasonably knowledgeable about and comfortable with their sexuality, but others, more typically, are not. The negative result is usually embarrassment because of
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COLLEGE HEALTH what the students perceive as excessive ignorance and their fear of ridicule if they openly seek the sexuality information they need. Young adults usually obtain sex information informally from1 sources such as the church, parents, and peers, who often provide messages that may have an impact on sexual knowledge, attitudes, and, sometimes, behavior.” Unfortunately, these sources of information often lead to misconceptions and unanswered questions about human sexuality that students bring to college.12 The students’ confusion is also a reflection of their particular stage of psychosexual development. College students’ needs for education in human sexuality must be addressed in the cla~sroom,’~ where students can get accurate information, share ideas and feelings, and clarify their values. Orgasm, sexual technique, virginity, and STDs are sensitive topics, and teachers must establish confidentiality as the accepted practice in responding to student concerns and questions. The anonymous question box is an effective vehicle for addressing student needs and assuring confidentiality. We analyzed the frequency and type of questions about sexuality that were anonymously submitted by college undergraduates at three major universities. The results of this study were then used to guide the sexuality component of personal health education COUrseij at each institution.
METHOD We gave students in personal health classes at a large southwestern university, a small midwestern university, and a mid-sized midwestern university an opportunity to submit anonymous queries relating to sex and sexuality. Students could submit as many questions as they wished on any appropriate sex-related topic. Each student was supplied with a plain 8% x 11-inch sheet of paper and given approximately 20 minutes to prepare questiolns. Submissions were identified by sex of the questioner only. This procedure was conducted before the beginning of the sexuality education component of the health education course at each school. Our investigation spanned 5 semesters, beginning in fall 1987 and ending with the fall semester of 1989. We did not include summer sessions because of the difference in summer students from those who attend the fall and spring semesters. The majority of our subjects were in freshman or sophomore classes. When data collection was complete, we separated submissions according to the sex of the questioner, then categorized the questions into one of six general topic areas. These were sexual arousallresponse, anatomylphysiology, contraception, dating/relationships, STDs, and pregnancylfertility. The qualitative process for examining the questions involved discussions among the investigators and subjective decision making to determine assignment to a category. The majority of sexual queries were easily categorized. Some questions, however, did not indi-
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cate the sex of the originator. We classified those on the basis of the tone and nature of the specific query. For example, if the question dealt with testicular examination and was in the first person, the investigators placed it with the male-originated queries. Some questions were not sexual in nature, were difficult to categorize, or were unreadable and were eliminated from the study. The major categories were not determined in advance but evolved from the data submitted and logical placement for ease of comparison.
RESULTS We received 1,346 queries, 506 from men and 840 from women; each of the 626 participating students at the three universities submitted at least one question. When we analyzed the data, we noted several trends. The greatest percentage of questions from both men and women students fell into the category of sexual arousallresponse (30.8% of men‘s questions, 25.3% of women’s). Only 6.9% of the queries from men asked about pregnancylfertility; women posed 13.6% of their questions about that subject. Men’s questions about anatomylphysiology were almost double those of women (18.9% v 9.6%). More than 23% of the women’s questions concerned contraception, whereas 14.5% of the men’s did so. Questions about STDs accounted for only 10.3% of the men‘s queries and 4.4% of the women’s (see Table 1). Sexual arousalhesponse (27.4%) and datinghelationships (21.6%) were the two categories that attracted the highest percentage of queries when we combined figures from men and women. Pregnancylfertility (1 1.1 %) and sexually transmitted diseases (6.5%) attracted the fewest questions. To determine whether any statistically significant associations existed among men and women and the categories of questions related to sexuality, we subjected these data to further statistical treatment. The most appropriate measure of association for qualitative data for this study was the chi-square test. According to Hays,I4 the chi-square value calculated on a 1 x K table can be divided into partial chi-square values so that the sum of U - 1)(K - 1) i s equal to the value of chi-square for the total table. This principle is equivalent to the creation of “shadow tables” or 2 x 2 partial subtables of the total. Chi-square analysis for the total table involved a crosstabulation of all the columns (major categories) by rows (men-women). Results of this analysis indicated a total chi-square value of 70.35 and a significant difference (p < .001) between sex of the questioner and the major categories of questions. We subsequently performed a shadow table analysis on these qualitativelcategorical data representing the six major topics or categories. This 2 x 2 shadow chisquare analysis compared each major topic or category with the remaining topics by sex of questioner to deter-
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QUESTIONS ABOUT SEXUALITY TABLE 1 Major Categories of Anonymous Questions Submitted by Gender, Frequency, and Percentage, Including Shadow Chi-square Results
Women
Men Major categoryltopic
n
%
%total
n
%
Total %total
N
Shadow %
X2
27.4 13.2 20.2 21.6 11.1 6.5 100
4.75 31.24* 4.04
~
Arousalhesponse Anatomy/physiology Contraception Datinglrelationships FertiIitylpregnancy STDs Totals
156 96 73 94 35 52 506
30.8 18.9 14.5 18.6 6.9 10.3 100
11.6 7.1 5.5 7.0 2.6 3.7 37.5
213 81 198 197 114 37
840
25.3 9.6 23.6 23.5 13.6 4.4 100
15.89 6.1 14.7 14.6 8.5 2.8 62.5
36 177 271 291 149 89 1,346
1.00
28.98* 0.34 70.35
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Note: All comparisons at 5 df. 'Indicates a significant @ < .001) association between major categon//topic and gender.
mine whether any significant associations existed among the variables. When these findings were reported, however, gender never accounted for more than 15% of the variance in frequency. Questions from men and women were clearly more similar than they were different, even when they appeared most unlike. The chi-square value for categories was 239.74 (v 70.35 for gender). That is, the differences in what students asked about (as opposed to chance) were greater than the differences between students of different sexes. We identified a significant association between sexual anatomy/ physiology and gender, p < .001, and between pregnancy/fertility and gender, p < .001. What types of questions did students submit?The lists in the Appendix represent the most frequently asked questions. In addition, we have included a few of the distinctive questions submitted. DISCUSSION Our data suggested several salient considerations for those who deal with the sexual health and well-being of college undergraduates. For datinghelationships and birth control to account for 41.8% of the total "need to know" requests is somewhat alarming in view of the social problems related to adolescent pregnancy, divorce, and sexual violence. That students, both men and women, asked so few questions about STDs may be the most important of our findings. Because of their age and lifestyle, students are at risk for Chlamydia trachomatis, which is largely asymptomatic, and for gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, and hepatitis B.'5*'6 To date, few college students have contracted AIDS, but it continues to spread into the general population. One fifth of those who are HIV positive are in their 20s, and many of them were exposed in their Regardless of their personal risk, students are likely to be affected by AIDS as friends or family members become infected.22
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We found that women understood their bodily functions and asked fewer questions (both in number and percentage) about anatomylphysiology than men but asked about fertility/pregnancy twice as often as men. Although men seemed concerned about sexual technique and performance, the women continued to carry the major responsibility for pregnancy.
Implications for Sexuality Education A college course in human sexuality and the sexeducation component of any personal health course or outreach program should include adequate coverage of the major categories of questions submitted by students in this study. "Safer sex" and "responsible sexual behavior" messages should be heard from all campus health professionals concerned with the health and effectiveness of the college-aged student. Asking students to print sexual questions on blank sheets of paper or index cards and submit them anonymously (the "open question box" technique) enables professionals to respond to students' concerns without the students' feeling threatened with condemnation from peers or instructors. Instructors can use the questions to identify specific topics to be taught. Questions and answers can also be presented in the classroom as a method of providing answers for both the students who originally asked the questions and those who did not. It has been suggested that for every student with a question there are at least 10 others with the same question who never ask.9 In using this method in a group or classroom setting, it is usually effective to paraphrase the question so as not to embarrass anyone. It is also helpful to comment on how good the questions are and to thank the students for submitting them. Students sometimes express concern about asking what they think might be "dumb" questions. This is a perfect opportunity to say that few people know all there is to know about the subject and add that there is no such thing as a dumb question about sex and sexuality.
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COLLEGE HEALTH Physicians, counselors, psychologists, and nurses play an essential role in educating college students about sexuality. Questions in our study fell into two very broad categories: those based upon the need for sound factual information and those that reflected the students’ concern with their physiological, behavioral, and emotional normality. Health professionals should observe and treat the student, not preach, infantilize, or impose individual value^.^ Clinical and counseling professionals can give the students full and explicit information, including medical consequences and options for individual choice and and can counsel them through their sexual confusion and distres~.’~ It is not enough to engage in simple, nonjudgmental listening. The professional i s obligated to make a clinical judgment about a client’s health behavior. The spirit of the term is “noncondemnatory listening,” that is, accepting the person while sorting out and evaluating the behavior and the physical and emotional status so that counseling can proceed effectively.’ It is imperative to educate and counsel in a manner that does not draw attention to the student’s ignorance or uncertainty and does not threaten his or her self-esteem. “As YOU probably know . . .” and “You may be aware o f . . .” are phrases that can be tactful introductions to a variety of sexual-health information and counseling interactions. Tact ilnd warmth are essential qualities in the delicate balancing act of recognizing a young person’s lack of sexual information and in providing information in a manner’ free from condescension. It is also imperative to use proper terminology for sexual anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Accurate use of terms enhances the communication process and enables the students to express their concerns more freely and with less embarrassment. Healthcare professionals should at all times be approachable, should encourage students to ask questions freely, and should commend them for seeking accurate information. The most predictable aspect of college students’ queries about sex and sexuality is that they will have them. Keeping perspective on students’ psychosexual stages of development and anticipating their sometimes unusual questions gives students the feeling of freedom to ask questions relating to sexuality. With sound professional advice, education, and counseling, these students may effectively travel the path of healthy sexual maturation.
Do men get more easily excited than women? Why? Is oral sex unhealthy? What does cum taste like? Is masturbation normal? Are there really such things as aphrodisiacs? Do drugs affect sexual performance?Arousal? Is it harder for a woman to have an orgasm than it is for a man? How important are simultaneous orgasms? Does it hurt to have sex? Can a guy’s penis be too big for a girl? Why do guys reach orgasm so quickly? Is it my fault? Is there such a thing as a multiple orgasm? Anatomy/physiology What is the G spot?Where is it? What is a Pap smear? Does it hurt when you get one? What is the most sensitive part of the penis? Is it true that men must have ejaculations fairly regularly for physical reasons? Is it better to have a wide or a long penis? Does penis size matter in having sex? Do some women actually ejaculate when they orgasm? At what age should you teach your children about sex? Is a circumcised penis better for sex? Contraception What is the best form of birth control? What are the hazards of taking birth control pills? What are the chances of becoming pregnant while on the pill? How does the pill affect the menstrual cycle? Do condoms really reduce stimulation for guys? How effective is the contraceptive sponge? What are the most recent developments in male contraceptives? How long does sperm live after intercourse? Datinghelationships Is sex OK if you are just dating? Are one-night stands bad? Why do guys only want one thing (sex)? How can a girl ask a guy out without the guy being offended? What is love? How do you know if you are in love? Why are people gay? What are gay relationships like? FertiIity/pregnancy What time of the month can you easily get pregnant? Can a female get pregnant without penetration? Are pregnancy tests reliable? Does abortion make later pregnancies more complicated? What is the latest time you should wait to get an abortion?
APPENDIX Questions Asked Most Frequently by Undergraduate Women
SexualI y transm itted diseases What are the signs and symptoms of various types of STDs? What is an STD? What i s gonorrhea? How would I know if I had an STD? Who do you see if you think you have an STD? Is a vaginal infection the same as an STD? What exactly is AIDS? How is AIDS contracted? Where did AIDS come from? How did it start? Can you contract HIV from oral sex? Can you have HIV and not have AIDS?
Arousallresponse What is an orgasm? How do you know when you really have one? Are men really more interested in sex than women? Why? What are some ways to excite a male?
Distinctive questions Is it painful for guys wearing tight jeans to get an erection? Do they use the same birth control methods in other countries? Can taking the pill affect the size of your eyes? Can a woman get pregnant with anal sex?
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QUESTIONS ABOUT SEXUALIN Do men enjoy oral sex or do they do it just to please their partner? Are you only supposed to have sex in the dark? Is it OK to think of other people while I’m having sex with my partner? Is it weird just to think about having sex with someone of the same sex? I don’t really enjoy having my breasts or nipples touched. Is there something wrong with me? What is the maximum number of times a guy can cum in one night?
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Questions Asked Most Frequently by Undergraduate Men Aroudresponse Why do women take longer to have an orgasm than men? Is oral sex harmful? Who has the greatest sex drive, men or women? When do men and women reach their sexual peak? What causes impotence? What causes homosexual behavior? How do drugs affect sexual stimulation? How does alcohol affect sexual arousal and performance? Is it normal for a guy, once in a while, not to be able to have an erection while being stimulated? What are aphrodisiacs? Is it weird not to want sex a lot? Can a penis actually be too big for a girl? Can you hurt yourself long term by having too much sex now? Why do women need a lot of foreplay? Anatomy/physiology What is a Graffenberg spot? How are twins produced? What is the average size of a penis? Contraception Can a man ejaculate after a vasectomy? Does it hurt when you have one? How effective is the sponge? How effective is a condom? How dangerous is the pill? What is the best time of month to prevent pregnancy? What is the best (most effective) form of birth control (besides abstinence)? Datinglrelationships How do you know when it’s “love“? Is it OK to have more than one person in your sex life? How do people recover from a break-up? How can I improve my ability to let my partner know what I like in sexual activity? Is being a virgin during college psychologically damaging? FertiIitylpregnancy Can a girl get pregnant without sexual intercourse? How long do you have to wait to get a pregnancy test? What is the safest kind of abortion? At what time of the month does a woman usually ovulate? Sexually transmitted diseases How is herpes contracted? What is the best way to prevent STDs? What are the signs and symptoms of various STDs? Can an STD kill you? Can you get herpes from oral sex? Can a guy get an STD if his girl has a yeast infection? What are genital warts and how are they caused? Is chlamydia as bad as herpes?
VOL39, MAY 1991
Can you really get an STD from a toilet seat? What is AIDS and how is it caused? Do men get AIDS easier than women? Will most gay men eventually get AIDS? Can you have AIDS and not really have the symptoms? Distinctive questions What harm does Chlorox bleach have on a female when used as a form of birth control? When two males have sex with a female (different times, of course) and the girl becomes pregnant and has twins, could one baby be one of the guy’s and the other baby the other guy’s? Or is one of the guys responsible for both babies? Does a man ever have a contraceptive safe period in his sexual career? Can sex be addictive like drugs and alcohol? I’ve only thought about it a few times, but do I need major help if I‘ve only thought about having sex with my brother? How about my sister?
INDEX TERMS college students, personal health education, sex counseling, sexuality education
NOTE Address correspondence to Robert F. Valois, PhD, Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, 216 Health Science Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
REFERENCES 1. Rouche JP. Premarital sex: Attitudes and behavior by dating stage. Adolesc. 1986;11(81):107-121. 2. Earle JR, Perricone PJ. Premarital sexuality: A ten year study of attitudes and behavior on a small university campus. I Sex Res. 1986;22(3):304-310. 3. Renshaw DC. Sex and the 1980s college student. I Am Coll Health. 1989;37:154-157. 4. Parcel GS. Development of an instrument to measure attitudes toward the personal use of premarital contraception. I School Health. 1975;45:157-159. 5. Henshaw SK, Van Vort J. Patterns and trends in teenage abortion and pregnancy. In: Teenage Pregnancy in the United States: The Scope of the Problem and States‘ Responses. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute; 1989. 6. National Center for Health Statistics. Advance report of final natality statistics. Monthly Vital Statistics Report 7986. 1988;37(3)(suppl). 7. Forrest JD, Silverman J. What public school teachers teach about pregnancy prevention and AIDS. Fam Plann Perspect. 1989;2 1:March/ApriI. 8. Harris L, et al. Public Attitudes Toward Teenage Pregnancy, Sex Education and Birth Control. New York: 1988:24. 9. Kirby D. Sexuality education: A more realistic view of its effects. I Sch Health. 1985;55(10):421-424. 10. Newcomer SF. Does sexuality education make a difference? New York: Planned Parenthood Federation of America; 1985. 11. Strouse J, Fabes RA. Formal versus informal sources of sex education: Competing forces in the sexual socialization of adolescents. Adolesc. 1985;10(78):251-263. 12. Caron 5, Bertran R. What college students want to know about sex. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality. April 1988: 18-25.
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COLLEGE HEALTH 13. Timmreck TC, Cole CE, JamesG , Butterworth DD. The health education and health promotion management: A theoretical jungle. Health Educ. OctlNov 1987:24-28. 14. Hays WL. Statistics, 4th ed. New York: Holt Rinehart Winston. 1988:796-801. 15. Spear SF, Deger DK. Screening for chlamydia by university health centers: Is it necessary and feasible? Am Coll Health. I989;37:293-295. 16. Collins M. Hepatitis B: The lastest sexually transmitted disease. / Am Coll Health. 1989;37:297-298. 17. Manning DT, Barenberg N,Gallese L, Rice JC. College students’ knowledge and health beliefs about AIDS: lmplications for education and prevention. j Am Coll Health. 1989; 37:254-;!59. 18. The National Adolescent Health Survey: A Report on the Health of America’s Youth. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute on Drug Abuse; 1988:37. 19. US Centers for Disease Control. AIDS Weekly Surveillance. February 20, 1989. 20. US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Center for infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control. HIVIAIDS Surveillance; June 1990. 21. Surgeon General’s Report on Acquired lmmune Deficiency Syndrome. Washington, DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1986. 22. Haffner DW. AIDS and adolescents: School health education must begin here. / Sch Health. 1988;50:154-155. 23. Renshaw DC. tntimacy and intercourse. Medicdl Aspects of Human Sexuality. 1984; 18(2):70-76. 24. Renshaw DC. Relationship therapy for sex problems. Compr 7her. 1983;9(6):32-39. 25. Valois RF. An evaluation of the effects of a human sexuality program on the attitudes of university residence hall students. Eta Sigma Gamma Monographs. 1984;2(2):15-21. 26. Valois RF, Ory JC, Stone DB. A study of the relationship between cognitive and affective taxonomic performance in health education. Adv Health Educ: Current Res. 1989:2: 27-45
RESEARCH NETWORK The Research Committee of the American College Health Association is assembling a network of health centers interested in collaborating in research studies. This would include multisite studies as well as collaborations on single-site projects. If your health center or individuals in it would be interested in being part of a network, call or write Brett Steenbarger, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Health Science Center, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, (315) 473-8120. Please include a statement describing the nature of your interest and giving details about your campus ,and health center. A networking list of interested individuals and campuses will be sent to all respondents.
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CALLS FOR PROPOSALS In response to the interest of the ACHA task forces on Ethnic and Minority Involvement and on HIV Infection and AIDS, and of the Peer Education Workshop, the journal of American College Health i s soliciting proposals for papers to be published in two future special issues.
Peer Education Training outcome and evalution, general v topic-driven programs, recruitment, structure possibilities, and histories of existing programs are all appropriate subjects for this special issue. Deadline for receipt of proposals is September 1, 1991. Notification of the editors’ decision will be by October 15, 1991. Send three copies of proposals to Paula Swinford, JACH Peer Education, USC Student Health Center, 849 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0311.
Health and College Students of Color Paper proposals for this issue should address at least one of the following college health topics: racismlsexism; interracial conflict; group differences; cross-ethnic cornmunication; accuIturationladjustment to campus life; social and academic stressors; coping; developmental issues; helpseeking; demographic trends; pluralism/diversity; health educationlpromotion, or healthcare interventions for students of color. Deadline for receipt of proposals i s October 1, 1991. Notice of the editors’ decisions will be by November 1, 1991. Send three copies of proposals to Karen H. C. Huang, PhD, Health of College Students of Color, Counseling and Psychological Services, Cowell Student Health Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-8580.
Specifications In both cases, proposals should be 3 to 5 double-spaced, typed pages and should provide (a) the objectives of the paper, (b) a detailed outline of the paper’s content, (c) a statement concerning the relevance of the paper to college health, (d) a description of any research conducted, and the results. Proposals accepted for inclusion in the special issue will be assigned an editor who will work directly with the author in shaping the final manuscript, which will also be reviewed by one of the executive editors of lACH.
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