One in four UW-Madison students will have a sexually transmitted infection by the time he/she graduates. When MTV heard about that statistic, the network contacted campus sexual awareness group Sex Out Loud.

Tentatively, an MTV crew is coming to campus to film a program on STIs during Sexual Awareness Week and is enlisting Sex Out Loud’s help.

The group’s job: to find four UW students with STIs who are willing to go on national TV with their stories.

“We haven’t been able to find anyone yet — a lot of students are uncomfortable with the topic of STDs, especially when it involves national television,” said Sex Out Loud Intern Meredith Schonfeld-Hicks.

The group is hopeful that it will find four people willing to testify before Wednesday morning, when MTV requested a report, said UW junior and the group’s educational coordinator, Jessica Brumm.

“We’re kind of worried that MTV won’t come unless we for sure have students for them to interview,” she said.

The group is going to every length to fill the quota.

“We are going to be on Library Mall Tuesday trying to raise awareness and find people . . . and we have sent out lots of e-mails about this,” Schonfeld-Hicks said.

She said Sex Out Loud is optimistic that if enough students come forward, UW has the power to raise national STI awareness.

“What MTV is doing makes sense,” she said. “If people watching the program see real students who feel comfortable telling their story, maybe other people around the country will come out and feel like they aren’t excluded because they have an STD.”

Sex Out Loud is encouraging infected students or staff to contact its office at 262-5625 by Wednesday morning if interested.