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SEX. Now that the word has drawn eyes to this article … why are college students afraid to talk about an act in which many engage?
When asked for comments on sexual safety, David Walsh, fifth year senior Ocean Engineering major said, "I'm going to have to say no comment on that one … ask me about the football team's win on Saturday."
When others were asked the same question they simply shrugged their shoulders, smirked or shook their heads and walked away with closed lips.
While some students know the football team's stats, how many know the risks of contracting a sexually transmitted infection?
It is estimated that one in five people who have more than one sexual partner have an Sexually Transmitted Infection. Over 20 percent of sexually active people are in possession of something another "team-mate" does not want to intercept or receive.
One person who is not afraid to take ball and run when asked about sex is Laurie Schmidt, M.S. Ed., Senior Health Educator for Schiffert Health Center. She coordinates workshops that go over the ABCs of sexual health.
"A stands for abstinence, which is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy and STDs," Schmidt said. "B stands for health behaviors to practice safer sex. These include communicating with your partner, getting tested before choosing to have sex, avoiding the mixture of alcohol, drugs and sex, because they impair a person's judgment and may cause them to do things they wouldn't normally do and may regret later," she said. "C stands for condoms, which are the only protection we have to try to protect ourselves from getting an STI if we do have sex. We do a condom demo and discuss reasons why condoms can fail."
In the excitement of the dating game, sometimes it is hard to know who has the ball — or STD. Not reviewing play-by-plays — or getting tested — may result in a personal foul or another's fumble when the ball is passed. Students who are sexually active and playing the field may not be aware of what they have received.
This is why the Health Promotion Team does events and workshops that go over what STDs look like as well as the resources available if one is intercepted. The Schiffert Health center also has free, anonymous HIV testing the first and third Thursday of every month.
"I think a lot of people don't realize that one of the scary things about STDs is that a lot of times people have no symptoms and are still carrying one. It's so much better to just get tested and start treatment," Schmidt said.
Condom coupons offered at Schiffert have been successful partly because of the privacy used, "People don't have to say anything to the pharmacist, they can just hand them the coupon, and the rest is taken care of," Schmidt said. "All we know is that if someone is going to have sex, it is their only way to make it safer. The key being the 'e-r'."
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