Magazine Profile Piece

The Ultimate Sexpert

The office is dimly lit, with the shades drawn. Papers clutter nearly every surface, and books threaten to spill out of floor-to-ceiling shelves, giving the room a cozy, lived-in feel. At ease, John Baldwin reclines comfortably in a leather office chair. His laptop, precariously perched on one of many lopsided stacks of paper, displays powerpoint lecture slides. A black-and-white printout of a Trojan Condom ad leans proudly agains this mound. As a professor in Human Sexuality at the University of California Santa Barbara, John is accustomed to viewing and presenting images that in most contexts classify as obscene, even pornographic. Originally a professor in the Psychology department, John transferred to Sociology to teach Human Sexuality in a move that would impact not only his own “Sexpertise,” but also that of countless students.

In the mid 1970s, two graduate students were nearing the end of their time at UCSB, placing their Sexuality class in jeopardy. After transferring to the sociology department, John prepared to continue the class’ legacy. He and his wife, Janice Baldwin, decided to teach the course (dubbed “Human Sexuality”) together, mimicking the graduate students’ model of a male-female team. Displaying impressive sensitivity, John explains that it is imperative that this class’ students feel comfortable speaking to a professor of their own gender, given the intimate subject matter. The male-female dichotomy also allows for different perspectives. Basing both their marriage and their course around equality, John and Janice take care to speak the same amount of time per lecture. This style of shared lecturing provides an opportunity to further emphasize equality and effective communication—both vital in a healthy relationship. These attributes make for a unique class that students are eager to take.

Over 600 students enroll per quarter, receiving comprehensive and tactfully presented information highly relevant to their demographic. This information is more likely to be absorbed when presented in this manner, rather than the informal learning methods (porn, peers, prom night) that many resort to. The taboo, hush-hush nature of the topic leads to lamentable deficits in education and resulting knowledge about sex. Many are tragically forced to learn the ‘hows,’ ‘whats,’ and ‘wheres’ of sex through hearsay or trial-and-error. Both John and Janice had parents who were reluctant to discuss sex and avoided the topic entirely. With a touch of both fond nostalgia and concern, John laughingly recalls his one and only parental lesson on sex. During a dog-breeding session, his father lifted his head over the fence so he could take a clandestine peek at the process. “See? That’s sex.”

John’s sex education continued in its informal nature upon his arrival to college, relying on friends for how-tos. “It was the blind leading the blind… it really really was,” he reminisces. With residual shock, John recalls that the withdrawal method was then touted as efficient to prevent pregnancy. Additionally, condom use was rare during this time, before the AIDS scare plagued the ‘80s and ‘90s. Abortion was illegal, and John acknowledges that he was incredibly fortunate to never cause a pregnancy during this time. Illicit abortions were the only option, and many were not prepared for the harsh reality of unwanted pregnancy. Because of insufficient education and low STI incidence, condoms were rarely used. “We were an ignorant generation,” John states almost wistfully, shaking his head.

Despite today’s increased knowledge about STIs and sex in general, the ‘ignorance is bliss’ mantra retains prevalence. Even among well-educated, mostly liberal students living in a sex-positive culture, superman syndrome—“that could never happen to me!”—continues to warp perception. This naïvety is dangerous—1 in 10 UCSB-enrolled students experience a pregnancy and STI rates continue to rise worldwide. John attributes this largely to advancements in non-barrier methods of birth control, namely the pill. Many view the pill as a valid reason not to use condoms, as pregnancy is their main concern. Others simply fear contraceptive methods for fear of ingesting artificial hormones or for fear of inserting a contraption such as Intra Uterine Devices or Implanon implants into their bodies. This fear is caused by a lack of education, a serious issue which many UCSB students are lucky to avoid, thanks to Human Sexuality and campus health services. Despite these resources, UCSB students still continue to practice unsafe sex. Other countries and regions fare even worse.

Suffering from a severe lack of education, much of the world has Malthusian-grade ecological and epidemiological problems in matters of sex, contraception, and STI transmission and prevention. The multitude of information enjoyed by UCSB students in the form of formal lectures, campus health services, and programs and talks put on by residence halls and on campus clubs is extremely unique. The accuracy and truth in the information provided is crucial as well. With a large part of America being politically conservative, and sex being a forbidden topic in these areas as well as much of the world, overpopulation and STI incidence rates will continue to rise. Education is the solution to many of these problems, and John describes his ability to have an impact on students’ knowledge and ultimately their health as being extremely gratifying.

“Janice and I have gotten a part of our identity from this,” John states matter-of-factly about his career. He describes it as a source of idealism and a wonderful growth experience for him and Janice. With admirable humility, John makes sure to point out that he is only a small cog in the large wheel of proper sex education at UCSB. He expresses his appreciation for the many services that combine to create a knowledgeable campus climate. However, as he recounts his experiences with other schools’ sex education, it is clear that the egalitarian, innovative style of teaching that the Baldwins have adopted is a rarity.

Earlier in their career, John and Janice took John’s father to a lecture at the University of Cincinnati, OH. His father could not understand what such a class would be like, and John assumed that it would be taught similarly to their own. The class turned out to be the antithesis of their own, possessing an egregious lack of tact. Chuckling, John recalls a joke that the professor told. He leaps out of his chair and stands up, animated as he relives the memory. “What do elephants use as condoms?” he mocks. “Trash bags,” he deadpans, incredulous. He describes the experience as incredibly embarrassing, and the class as a farce. Through this example alone, it becomes increasingly clear that not only the accuracy of the information itself but also the manner in which it is presented is crucial.

John and Janice make sure to be as sensitive as possible while teaching. At the beginning of each quarter, Janice makes certain to say, “If anything we say offends you, please come talk to us.” The Baldwins accept constructive criticism, corrections, and requests graciously, using these to improve their course content and student satisfaction. Student engagement is important in this class, as the material can improve and enhance many aspects of life. However, the material’s inherent connotation causes offense to some groups. One such group consists of proponents of ‘abstinence only’ sex education, many of whom argue that learning about sex will entice teenagers to have sex. When prompted with the topic of abstinence-only sex education, John visibly deflates, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I feel horrible about it.” When high schoolers are given information about STI and pregnancy prevention, and even condoms, it will not cause them to have more sex. Impassioned, John leans forward in his chair and insists that these resources are essential. Teenagers who are not sexually active will remain abstinent, benefited by this knowledge in that they are prepared for sex when it does happen, and those who are having sex will continue to do so, but safely. It seems like a win-win, but sadly, many schools and states refuse to implement policies and services that will allow students to receive a holistic education.

Not all students have the opportunity to take Human Sexuality, but the knowledge gleaned within dissipates through hearsay and improves the campus’ knowledge as a whole. A comprehensively educated group of students who are able to provide proper information to their peers is priceless. Maria Miramontes, a former Human Sexuality student, recounts her prior sex education as predominantly negative. Thus, she appreciates the Baldwins’ framing of the material in such a positive, accessible manner. This makes students more comfortable and engaged in the material, which is extremely important in this class. John has high hopes that millennials and future generations, being increasingly more open and sex-educated, will raise properly informed children. These children will be “standing on the shoulders of giants,” as John fondly refers to the generation upon which he imparts his knowledge.