Free pizza. Free sex advice. If that was not enough, condoms were free, too. One girl left the discussion with a box of about 100 Trojans, saying, “I like sex.”
Whatever the draw, 280 students packed into the Richmond Salons in the University Student Commons on Thursday night for the third biannual Sex Talk Live. The event featured an hour-long Q-and-A session with associate professor and human sexuality instructor Daphne Rankin and Shawn McNultey of the Fan Free Clinic in Richmond.
VCU InSight will air Sex Talk Live 7 p.m. tonight and 7 p.m. Sunday on WCVW, Channel 24.
Students’ questions covered diverse and usually personal topics. One female asked what to do if someone is allergic to latex condoms. One male asked if having a penis curved like an upside-down rainbow was normal.
Another female asked if “blue balls” was a real phenomenon.
“Yes, but that should not be an excuse for putting out,” McNultey replied. “The best solution is to take things into your own hands, literally.”
The discussion often had a comical tone, frequently interrupted by laughter following both students’ questions and panelists’ answers. Kiffy Johnson, Student Government Association special assistant for student affairs, said that is a good thing.
“Sex education should be fun,” she said. “We need to break the awkward silence about sex.”
Johnson sported a bright red condom-shaped suit for the show. As “Kiffy the Condom,” she wandered the Commons halls before the discussion to lure more attendants. A condom-shaped sticker read “Just Wear It” near the suit’s cut-out hole for her head.
Voices for Planned Parenthood, or VOX, organized the event with help from co-sponsors Queer Action, Project Reach and Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Education by Students.
Black and purple curtains adorned the entrance near the Salons, where an automated machine blew bubbles. Before the Q and A, local disc jockey DJ Krames played a mix of hip-hop and pop songs with sexual themes such as “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye. Volunteers manned tables in the back, handing out free Papa John’s pizza and pamphlets on issues such as sexual assault and domestic violence. Each of the 300 seats featured one free Trojan or Durex condom for its occupant.
Before Rankin and McNultey took the stage, multiple-choice quiz questions flashed on two giant projection screens. Question subjects varied from sexually transmitted infections to the RU-486 abortion pill to ancient Greek sex toys. Answers revealed that after 10 p.m. in Australia, condoms may be delivered with pizza and that an American urologist supposedly once bought Napoleon Bonaparte’s penis for $40,000. After VOX president Laurel Murray introduced the panelists, organizers brought microphones out to students or collected anonymous questions on note cards.
Students asked if piercing the clitoris could reduce sensitivity, if birth control shots worked for males and whether masturbation could cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
One audience member asked if there was any problem with swallowing sperm. Rankin said there should not be any.
“I’ve had students ask me about natural sugars in semen and how many calories does it have,” Rankin said.
When a student asked whether sex could cause yeast infections, Rankin said it depends on each person’s susceptibility.
“Some women are sitting here, and if you look at them funny they’ll end up with a yeast infection,” Rankin said.
Despite the comic relief, the panelists gave practical advice to students. With yeast infections, as with other health issues, Rankin recommended that anyone with recurrent problems consult a physician. Rankin and McNultey encouraged individuals to always discuss sexual preferences with their partners.
After the Q and A concluded, the student hosts held a contest to find the best nicknames for the penis and vagina. Thirteen students lined up in front of the audience to cast entries for one of the two categories. The loudest cheers from the crowd dubbed the winning penis name the “Lust Musket.” Freshman pre-pharmacy student Erin Squires won for best vagina name and phrase, “Mango: because it makes my man go crazy,” taking home a $25 gift certificate for Taboo.
Squires said when asked if she has used the nickname before, “Of course I have. It’s on my MySpace page.”
After the festivities ended, the crowd dispersed, and sponsoring groups worked to clean up the room. Melissa Miles, a senior psychology major and SAVES member, took a break to blow up a condom like a balloon. She stunned onlookers, not quitting until it stretched to about 3 feet long.
“It’ll be the size of me before it explodes,” Miles said.