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The University of Chicago, known for famous teachers such as Barack Obama and Milton Friedman, welcomed one unique teacher for a day: Trojan.

Arriving on a 40-foot bus, representatives from the condom maker pulled onto campus Wednesday to educate students on practicing better sexual behavior.

The visit is part of an 18-campus tour begun in March to raise awareness about STD (sexually transmitted diseases), and start a dialogue that tour sexual health educator Kari Kuka said is missing in America.

What exactly should students be taught about sex in public schools? And what are they being taught?

These questions have sparked contentious debate among parents, educators and political leaders. The debate has been stoked by the millions of dollars the federal government has pumped into abstinence-only programs that are given prominence at many schools around the country.

A University of Chicago Medical Center study published in the February issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, reveals that 30 percent of Illinois's sex education teachers have had no formal training and only 34 percent teach students how to use condoms.

Teachers also reported being dependent on available curriculum materials, which tend to be of the abstinence-only variety.

A senior author of the study, Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, a physician and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, spoke with Medill Reports about why the study is important, the role physicians can play in educating young people, and what can be done to improve the state of sex education in schools.

Q. What was the most important thing the study revealed?

A. First of all, most teachers say they have had some training, but some [30 percent] say they have no training at all. This is very concerning from the perspective of physicians. Although schools say they teach sex education, the teachers are not being trained. The teachers who are not trained say they are not comfortable teaching sex ed, and if the teachers aren't comfortable, it's unlikely students are comfortable with the knowledge they are getting in school.

Another important finding is that students are getting a strong message around abstinence. This is part of the message we need to give them, because [abstinence] is the only sure way to prevent STIs [sexually transmitted infections] and pregnancy. But it's not the whole story. They aren't getting info about how to talk to their partners about sex, about contraceptives and how to use condoms. Large proportions of kids are sexually active and need to learn to be responsible.

Q. Why do you think condom use is among the least frequently taught subjects, with only 34 percent of teachers showing students how to use them properly?

A. The single most important influence is the availability of curriculum materials to guide teaching, and those are sticking closely to the abstinence-only message. They aren't giving a comprehensive view of sexuality. Abstinence-only [curricula] were used by 75 percent of teachers in the study and they are not giving information about condom use. Availability is an important factor-but another factor is comfort with demonstrating condoms [in a classroom].

Q. Why is it important for sex education to be comprehensive and not just stress abstinence?

A. Literature shows that young people who have an open dialogue with their parents and are comfortable talking about issues are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. . Knowledge is power, and keeping secrets from young people about how their bodies work makes them more likely to engage in risky behaviors, not less likely.

Most physicians caring for young people also interact with their parents - and as a gynecologist I take care of women who are young parents. Doctors need to educate parents so they know how to talk to their kids about these issues - doctors can do better to prepare parents.

Q. Thirty percent of the teachers surveyed had no training in sex education. What needs to happen for sex education teachers to be better trained?

A. We need sex education to be one with health education, which kids get in schools. We need to have a broader approach on how to be healthy and how to be responsible for your health, and sex is a component.

The study was funded by the Illinois Campaign for Responsible Sex Education, a project of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Planned Parenthood Chicago Area.