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The Magenta Virus
Description: The purpose of the program is to show how sexual activity can spread diseases and viruses. It's a visual representation of how you don't really know who you're sleeping with, and where they've been.
Required materials:
-Baking soda
-cups
-water
-phenolphthalein (it's the chemical that turns the water pink) --VERY dangerous chemical, so DO NOT ingest, and be careful when dealing with it!
Each participant gets a cup filled half way with water. A few of the cups have been mixed with baking soda. (make sure the baking soda is dissolved and invisible) The cups that have baking soda (the base) will react with the phenolphthalein (acid) to make a bright pink color, so the cups that start with the baking soda will be the original people who have the "Virus." The baking soda cups should be given to RAs or people who are helping facilitate the program, that way they know they have the virus. Participants are then instructed that they can "Exchange fluids" with as few as one other person, and up to the average number of sexual partners for students on your campus. (for Arizona it was 4. This may vary for your school) **The people who know they have the virus must "sleep" with the maximum number of people**They exchange fluids by pouring their cup ENTIRELY into the other persons, and then the other person pours theirs ENTIRELY back into the first cup, and they the y split the liquid 50/50. When everyone has exchanged fluids with as many people as they'd like, the facilitator will go around and put a few drops of phenolphthalein into each cup. The cups that turned pink have been infected with the virus, because they either started with it, or "slept" with someone who had it. As a group, you can then work your way back to see who gave it to whom.
Other Considerations: You might want to post sexual health statistics, or Info about STDs, etc. It also might be fun or helpful to have a sexual health specialist come to the program and participate or speak. Providing condoms and literature is also nice for residents.
Karen M
University of Arizona
kmorian(at)gmail(dot)com?
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