A sexual literacy campaign launched by SF State’s National Sexuality Resource Center is seeking to challenge sexual myths on multiple levels. Claiming to be a first of its kind, the campaign seeks to replace sexual myths with accurate information.

“The main goal we have for individuals is for them to increase their sexual well-being,” said Gilbert Herdt, director of the National Sexuality Resource Center. “That means that they avoid disease, they are able to have a happy sexual relationship, (or) they are able to avoid pregnancy if they want to.”

The campaign, hosted at www.sexliteracy.org, is focused on online resources, including articles about sexuality, columns by experts from community-based organizations, and information about similar organizations. The Web site also provides a 12-question online quiz which challenges assumptions about sexuality and explains the reality behind them.

“The quiz is an attempt to put forth information that experts have received from people,” said acting Associate Director Judy Young.

The quiz touches on wide-ranging topics from sexual health to sexual discrimination. After answering all questions, visitors learn that masturbation is a healthy way to relieve stress, and for consenting adults, there is no such thing as “too much sex.” The quiz also discusses sexual discrimination, telling readers that in 36 states it’s still legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation.

The center’s annual Summer Institute provides courses for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, as well as health care workers and other professionals. It will focus on sexual literacy this year by offering courses on how sex is presented on the Internet and in the mass media.

The center sees “packaged sex” in the media as a main obstacle to sexual literacy. According to Young, although sex is common in the media, it’s unrealistically portrayed or fails to educate the public.

One problem, Young said, is couples have sex without any discussion on how to practice safe sex.

“Sex is marketed on TV as the thing to do without having the information on how to be safe,” Young said.

The center is also critical towards abstinence-only education. According to Herdt, no proof exists that abstinence-only education works. Instead, insufficient sex education in the United States decreases sexual literacy, which can be seen in the nation’s high rates of unintended pregnancies, abortion complications and STDs, especially among youth, Herdt said.

“It’s obvious that (the) U.S. has very poor sexual education and very poor policies,” Herdt said.

SF State chemistry major Jason Raud said he never had any sex education in school, adding that most young people don’t get enough information about sex.

“I think it’s very hard for young people and adolescents," Raud said. "They kind of get lost in parents not wanting to talk about it and the school system not wanting to (either)."

When Raud tutored junior high schools students in science, he said, he also came to understand younger students’ attitudes on sex and other topics. He said youth often have misconceptions about sex.

For example, he said, he met teens who thought women could not get pregnant the first time they had sex.

“If sex isn’t talked about it can allow people to put themselves in dangerous situations,” Raud said.

Biology professor Ann Auleb has taught human sexuality classes at SF State for 21 years. She said the National Sexuality Resource Center serves an important function countering the many misconceptions about sex in today’s society.

“There are still people who think that masturbation is damaging physically and that it’s morally wrong,” Auleb said. “I think it’s important that people understand that the opposite is true, that a healthy sex life is good for you.”