Maybe you’ve seen the Midwest Teen Sex Show (MTSS)—an irreverent and clever video show about teen sexuality. It’s no substitute for sex ed classes. But it’s funny, sarcastic and, we promise, nothing like your usual sex ed classes’ anatomy diagrams and textbooks.

Guy Clark, 28, created and directs MTSS. Nikol Hasler, 28, hosts the show, and comedian Britney Barber, 25, performs in the skits. We had a chance to chat with Nikol Hasler. Read on as she dishes about sex ed and the questions teens really have about sex.

Sex, Etc.: Why did you start doing this and what was your inspiration?

Nikol: Guy Clark is the one who came up with the idea. He watches a lot of podcasts, and he really wanted to create a podcast that would be educational and funny at the same time.

As far as my own involvement in it, I really love working with teenagers. I already do creative writing workshops with teens, and when it comes to sexuality, it was something that I know some things about.

Sex, Etc.: What was your sex ed class like growing up?

Nikol: Britney, Guy and I all had very different sex ed experiences. Since both Guy and Britney went to private schools, they received no sex education at all. I had the standard health class unit on sexually transmitted diseases and Fallopian tubes. Sex was not really a part of sex education, only the dangers of what would happen after you had sex.

When we choose topics for the show, we’re heavily influenced by the number of questions we receive on the topic, but we also greatly consider the things we wished we had been talked to about.

Sex, Etc.: Where did you go to high school?

Nikol: I went to five different high schools.

Sex, Etc.: What!?

Nikol: I was in the foster care system growing up, so I moved constantly. By the time I was done with all of that, I had been in 15 different placements in Illinois.

Sex, Etc.: What are you trying to accomplish with the show?

Nikol: To just entertain young people enough that they can start thinking about the things we’re saying. Like, for example, that girls and boys alike ought to be carrying condoms. We want to get them talking about these things. And hopefully, talking to other adults about it and realizing that, you know, conversations with adults don’t have to be uncomfortable. I know how Sex, Etc. has talked about that in the past—how it becomes this really uncomfortable exchange—but it can be a lot more relaxed than that.

Sex, Etc.: What kind of questions do you get from teens?

Nikol: We get basic dating and relationship style questions. We get body image questions. We get questions from boys wanting to know if their penises are too small or if they’re shaped funny. We get questions about pregnancy…it just runs the gamut. The most surprising questions I get are the ones that seem to me to be about basic information. You know, like, “What’s an erection?”

Sex, Etc.: How does the Midwest Teen Sex Show differ from Sex, Etc.?

Nikol: OK, well, Sex, Etc. is actually a good legitimate site where you can go and get really strong and helpful information about all aspects of teen life and teen sexuality. I point a lot of people to Sex, Etc. Even in e-mail exchanges, I’ll say, “You know, you should check out this article over here by [teen staffer] Donovan, because he talks about this.”

I really respect what you guys are doing, and it excites me that you are this group of teenagers putting yourselves out there and talking about topics that could be uncomfortable. But what we’re doing at Midwest Teen Sex Show is for entertainment purposes. It’s just three to five minutes. You can’t adequately give a lot of room to a topic in that time.

Sex, Etc.: Do you ever worry about people watching the show and completely misunderstanding your purpose?

Nikol: Right! I worry about parents watching the show and completely misunderstanding our purpose or misunderstanding the jokes or thinking, rather, that their children are going to misunderstand. I think we’re using a comedy style that’s really current with what’s out there in the media right now. I got a great e-mail from a parent who said, “I don’t personally think it’s funny, but I guess I understand why my kids would think it’s funny.” So, we need to start giving teens a lot more credit and know that they’re not going to misconstrue all of the jokes that we make.

Visit Midwestteensexshow.com to view episodes of the video show or subscribe to the podcast. The show is for teens 18 or older. If you’re under 18, get permission from a parent or guardian before viewing the show.