Here is a discussion in another group I belong to...re a safe sex survey!!! It makes an interesting and funny read in it self but raises significant questions about current attitudes re safe sex, ignorance re health issues and the validity of such surveys....what do you think?

"Nearly two-thirds of Britons think the fiery Italian sauce Arrabiata is a sex infection, according to a survey on Friday. The survey, of 1,015 people and released on World AIDS day, also showed nearly half were unable to identify a range of common sexual complaints.

"What is very worrying is the lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) revealed in the survey," said sex therapist Emily Dubberley. "63% percent in the UK thought an Italian sauce was an STD and over 43% couldn't identify any of the common sexual complaints we asked about. This ignorance has no excuse in today's world."

The survey, conducted by pollsters MYVOICE, also found that 48% of respondents found body odour and poor personal hygiene a turn off against just 4% who felt the same about a refusal to wear a condom.

The poll also found that 35% of people looked for information about sex on the Internet against 27% who consulted magazines. In contrast only 4% went to their doctors."

"Haha.. And Wanking is a town in China, whilst Fallatio is a character from Hamlet."

"Where did these stats come from? "

"Isn't arrabiata a type of bread? I'm sure i use it to dip into my famous chick-pea and chlamydia salsa? "

"The survey, conducted by pollsters MYVOICE" (www.myvoice.co.uk - "You can earn points when you take a poll - earn 50 points just for registering. And you get an entry in to our £1000 Monthly Prize Draw with every poll!!")

Great PR story though. Sort of stuff that will soon be in hundreds of papers all over the world.

Ciabatta is a type of bread. Or is it an STD?"


"What I meant was how do pollsters like MYVOICE come up with these stats? Do they stand in a random shopping mall on an average Thursday afternoon for example and ask questions of the first 1000 or so passers by or do they target a specific demographic? Sorry but I have an in-built distrust for anything that claims to know how the nation thinks by surveying less than 0.002% of its population."


"If somebody refuses to wear a condom would that stop you finding them sexually attractive? I would wager that it might stop you sleeping with them but that doesn't mean they're not going to turn you on. Does that make you ignorant of sexual health issues?

I can't help but think that poorly compiled and presented statistics could possibly have the opposite effect of what was initially desired. If people see that the statistics which support the message are as flimsy as this, maybe they will regard the message itself to be equally weak."



Just a thought.

Hi Vince,

I suspect it isn't much better in the US either. When it comes to sex, people are just downright prudish and uncomfortable so they use info they see in papers, books and magazines to color their decision making. I see this constantly on the university level working in the counseling center and teaching in allied health. I've had more students with STDs, unforeseen pregnancies and other mishaps in the past year than I have ever seen. It's insane and frankly, quite sad. Maybe I'll try that survey with my students and see what they come up with. Thanks for sharing this.

Cheers,

Jay

Good stuff, Vince. We need to talk more about safer sex, and I appreciate you bringing the topic up.

Professor, please let us know what kind of results you get if you give such a survey to your students! It would be interesting to see how the typical American student rates.