Sexually-Transmitted Disease Is UHS Seminar Topic Tonight

Responding to student demand, the student council of University Health Services UHS tonight will sponsor a seminar on sexually transmitted infections diseases.

Two Harvard-affiliated specialists from local hospitals will give short lecturers on infectious diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea, and AIDS and then take questions from the audience.

Dr. Peter Zuromskis, a clinical instructor in medicine at the Medical School and moderator for tonight's panel discussion, said yesterday. "We planned this in response" requests from a number of students--to were the misinformation that the press has disseminated about sexually transmitted disease.

"We want to bring concerns into the open and remove the taboos that people have associated with the subject," he added

Assistant professor of Medicine Dr. Robert Schooley and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Nanette Gartrell will speak at tonight's seminar Schooley specializes in the treatment of infectious diseases and Gartrell focuses on sexual issues affecting women, gays and lesbians.

Gartrell said that discussion of sexual issues in college is usually to the topics of contraception and abortion, although there are many other problems to consider.

Gartrell, who worked as a resident at UHS, added that "students definitely need this. It's important to voice people's concerns about getting those diseases."

David Binion '84, chairman of the student committee that helped plan the talk, said yesterday he was interested in sponsoring a talk on infectious disease because of the recent sensationalism over herpes and AIDS.