Sexual Health Resources
On CD-Rom
Looking for a high-tech way to educate students about sex? The Bacchus & Gamma Peer Education Network has developed a CD-ROM that just might be an answer to your prayers. Sex in the CD is an interactive computer “adventure” designed to engage students in discussions about safe sex, healthy relationships and sexual identity.
Divided into three interactive environments, the “Friends & Lovers Coffee House,” the “HIStories & HERStories bookstore” and “Club in the Mix,” the CD offers a collection of games, quizzes and personal testimonies from “real” students. The CD jacket also includes a complimentary handbook to help users navigate the CD and contains a list of “Sex Links,” to other resources they can visit on the Web.
The CD’s cyber host is a young woman who appears to be African American or biracial and there are other people of color featured among the personal testimonies. The HIS/HERStories section seems a bit preachy to this user and is surprisingly less dynamic than one might expect (featuring still photos and text that fades in and out during the narration), but, overall the CD is worth checking out.
Copies of Sex in the CD can be ordered at <www.bacchusgamma.org> or call (303) 871-0901.
Online
• The American College Health Association <www.acha.org> site features a variety of resources concerning student health. While the site is mainly designed to serve the organization’s professional membership, many of the resources featured on the site are available to the public. The publications division includes several resources designed to improve the quality of care offered by college health centers. One publication of particular interest is Health Programming in College/University Settings for Students of Color, a monograph prepared by the organization’s Task Force on Ethnic Minority Involvement.
• The Bacchus & Gamma Peer Education Network <www.bacchusgamma.org> site hosts a wealth of student-friendly information about sexual and other health issues. Visitors will find listings of the types of student-focused activities that are taking place on campuses around the country. The site also features a collection of articles on student health topics and provides links to other sites addressing these topics. Copies of Sex in the CD (see story above) can be ordered at this site as well.
• This official site for the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention <www.edc.org/hec> at the U.S. Department of Education includes information and resources concerning the relationship between substance abuse and sexual assault.
• Drew Pinsky, M.D., <www.drdrew.com> is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show and MTV program “Loveline.” Like the show, which addresses relationship and health issues and is popular among adolescents and young adults, the Web site features information about a wide range of health topics and invites questions from users.
• The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) <www.guttmacher.org> is a non-profit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education. While the organization does not specifically focus on college students, its site includes a wealth of information about adolescent health and sexual education issues.
— By Cheryl D. Fields
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
