Group helps teens use their sexuality wisely, responsibly

By THERESA HOGUE

Gazette-Times reporter

On a whiteboard in front of a class of skeptical teenagers, Brian Dekker drew a rough sketch of the female reproductive system, but left it unlabeled. Instead, he asked the class what they thought he'd just drawn.

"Is it an alien?" someone asked from the back of the room.

It takes a lot of poise to answer the stream of questions teenagers have when talking about sexuality. For Michael Pohl and Dekker of the Benton County MARS program, it's helpful to have a good poker face. But even Pohl and Dekker break into smiles and laughter when the discussion takes an unexpected turn.

MARS stands for Male Advocates for Responsible Sexuality, and that's exactly what Pohl, Dekker and the five other MARS interns model when they speak to groups about sexual health, abstinence and healthy relationships. The MARS interns are college students chosen for their ability to discuss sexuality in a frank and easy manner.

"They're just more credible to young people," than older teachers, said Jackie Cupples, program coordinator of the MARS program. "It means something different to the students because of how they're presenting the information."

Thursday morning, Pohl and Dekker deftly navigated questions thrown at them by students attending Yes House, an alternative school that also offers substance abuse treatment and counseling for teens. The MARS representatives spend four weeks teaching YES House students a version of sexual education that encompasses a lot more than memorizing the names of sexually transmitted infections.

"They discuss gender roles, the media, decision making, and the various levels of risk associated with a gamut of sexual activities," Cupples said. They also discuss the emotional risks associated with sexual activity, the importance of communication and the role of consent during sex.

Ed Lipton, known as "Coach," is the education coordinator for the Yes House. He said teens who are involved in substance abuse are also more likely to participate in other high-risk behaviors such as sexual activity. That's why the MARS message is so important. And while abstinence is both discussed and encouraged, Lipton is aware that teaching about sexual safety, and about healthy relationships, is really what's helping his students.

"The program definitely has an effect as far as education," Lipton said. "I'm constantly amazed at how much sexual involvement (Yes students) have without real knowledge about (sexual activity.)"

Some of the questions Pohl and Dekker fielded Thursday were clearly an attempt by students to embarrass them, but they've learned to expect outrageous inquiries and deftly turn them around on the students. When a student inquired why the drug ecstasy was supposed to heighten the sexual experience, Dekker asked the class if sex while under the influence was a good idea at all. The answer from the students was a resounding "no."

"I'm not a drug expert, I'm a sexpert," Dekker joked, but he made it clear that intoxicants lead to bad decisions.

Although Thursday's focus was on contraception, sometimes off-topic questions led to important discussions. One such discussion led to Dekker explaining about triggers - things like off-color jokes or sexual discussions or imagery that can lead a victim of sexual assault to re-live their experiences.

"Triggers can be very intense experiences," Dekker said, warning the class to not make jokes about sexual violence. "I don't think any of us here want to send people to (that place)."

MARS does about 30 outreach sessions a year, as well as offering individual counseling to males age 13 to 25. Private sessions, which can be as simple as a question-and-answer periods, are free and men who sign up for a session receive a $20 gift card to Fred Meyer for participating.

MARS is at the end of its five-year federal grant, and staff is waiting to learn whether the organization will receive a new grant before the end of the fiscal year in September. Last week, the group was evaluated by a contractor for the Office of Population Affairs, which monitors groups receiving federal grant money for sexual health programs.

For more information on MARS, call Cupples at 766-6629 or go to http://askmars.org. To schedule a private session, call 766-6835, or if you are an OSU student, call 737-2775.