The Herald briefly interviewed renowned psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer - or as she is publicly known, Dr. Ruth - following her lecture in Salomon 101.
Having begun your career working for Planned Parenthood, what are your thoughts on the current controversy surrounding the rising price of birth control for large health care providers?
I really would like everybody to have access to contraceptives. Add a big exclamation mark! And not to have political discussions about it.
Throughout your career you have interwoven Jewish culture with your take on sex education. How has being Jewish influenced how you approach sex and talking publicly about sex?
Because first I did a book called "Heavenly Sex: Sexuality in the Jewish Tradition," and second, I do believe because for Jews sex has never been a sin. It always has been a good deed ... especially on Friday nights! So I think that that has helped me to be very explicit about it.
How has the public perception of sexual culture changed since you began your work in the 1980s?
Well, what has changed is the vocabulary. But there is still a lot of work to be done and more people should enter into the field of sex education.
Do you have any parting thoughts or advice for the Brown community?
You are a wonderful group of people! I got a standing ovation, put it down there.
