Three professors and a crowd of Northwestern students engaged in a lively debate about HIV and related issues Tuesday night during “How to Have Safe Sex in an Epidemic,” a forum co-sponsored by Dance Marathon and the Public Affairs Residential College.
Profs. Michael Bailey, Lane Fenrich and Kearsley Stewart spoke to more than 200 students in Harris Hall 107 on three topics proposed by organizer Nicole Mash: how to have safe sex, who should practice safe sex and whether it is necessary at all.
The program began with five-minute statements from the professors about their views on the risks of sexual activity in the context of the HIV epidemic.
Bailey, an associate professor of psychology, said incidences of HIV in the United States were largely confined to specific demographic groups.
“Heterosexual people here who are having sex with other heterosexual people at Northwestern virtually are at no risk for (contracting) HIV,” Bailey said. “Instead of spending your time tossing and turning about HIV because of some hook-up, you should be at the door of your gay friends, begging them to be careful.”
Bailey said students should worry more about other sexually transmitted diseases, including human papilloma virus, herpes and chlamydia.
But Fenrich, a senior lecturer in the history department, said HIV is not confined to demographic groups such as gay men or intravenous drug users.
“My point of departure from Professor Bailey is that the risk of HIV shouldn’t be thought about in terms of identity,” he said. “Risk is a function of behavior and nothing else.”
He also said people often don’t know if their partners belong to at-risk groups.
“Two, four, six, eight, how do you know your boyfriend’s straight?” Fenrich said. “And a better question is, how the hell does he?”
Stewart, a visiting assistant professor of anthropology, said students should make their own decisions about sexual safety rather than rely on statistical probabilities.
“When you think about safe sex you need to think about your own individual experiences and behaviors,” she said.
Stewart also said NU’s low level of HIV-infected students could rise.
“If you went around the campus, you would find the HIV level at 0.05 percent, but that doesn’t say anything about tomorrow,” Stewart said.
Following the panelists’ statements, audience members questioned and argued with the panelists for more than an hour.
One issue addressed by the panelists was the effectiveness of using condoms to prevent HIV transmission.
“I think that HIV is one of the least good reasons to wear a condom,” Bailey said. He said he advocated the use of condoms to prevent more prevalent STDs.
“Everyone in here knows condoms tremendously decrease STD transmission and pregnancy,” he said. “Nevertheless, several to many of you have had sex without condoms.”
But the other panelists disagreed.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Fenrich said. “Why don’t you use a condom, dental dam, saran wrap or whatever the hell else is available to protect yourself?”
Stewart said the Japanese culture has embraced condoms and that other cultures could learn to do the same.
Students said they enjoyed the multiple points of view presented during the forum, even if they didn’t agree with all of them.
“I thought it was an informative discussion and I definitely agree with Professors Stewart and Fenrich over Professors Bailey,” said Education sophomore Meg Rauen. “It’s a good idea to bring in different ideas so individuals can decide for themselves.”
