Let's Talk About Sex

Many people say that college is the time period where a person learns the most about himself or herself. Part of the learning process is exploring new things. Though many students do not, one thing that some college students choose to partake in is having sex. Although sometimes parents choose to ignore the statistics, there are many out there that target college students’ sexual activity. As discussed in class, there are many different things that can influence a student’s decision to have sex. The reason that I think this topic is interesting because there are so many students that choose to partake in sexual activity, yet so many students decide to do so unprotected. Some are poor decisions and some are safe. Statistics show that 44% of college students aged 18-24 wear a condom when they have sex. However, 1 in 4 college students either never use one or do so rarely. The statistic is alarming because students are concerned with sexually transmitted diseases, yet many choose to have no barrier against them. Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, can lead to long-term emotional distress, usually for females. The biggest stressor for sexually active college students is not school itself but STDs, including but not limited to herpes, HPV, HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. We learned in a lecture by a guest speaker that most STDs can be prevented with taking the extra step and using a condom. Usually the only reason that males choose not to do so is the inconvenience. If college students were to be surveyed, the results would likely say that inconvenience is better than an STD. Advice for students would include being smart about sexual decisions and wear condoms when choosing to engage in sexual activity. It is important to use a condom in the correct way to avoid accidental pregnancy. Using a condom correctly includes putting it on before contact with a partner. Many students also do not think about sexual activity under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which both alter students’ decisions, can lead to poor outcomes, and may change a decision about a sexual partner. The most suggested way to have sex is to use a condom, choose a trusted partner, and engage under no influence of drugs and alcohol. This topic impacts my life because I am surrounded by many students everyday at UGA who choose to make these decisions and I hear about what people discuss about sexual activity. It is crucial for universities to provide education about sex, and I am sure that every student who attended the guest speaker’s lecture about sex learned something useful, whether the student is sexually active or not. It is important to public health because of the outcomes and effects that unprotected sex can have. Education involves learning positive benefits as well as consequences that can result from poor decisions.

My remaining questions regarding this topic are as follow. Why do students choose to partake in unprotected sex when there are ways to reduce the number of unwanted outcomes? Also, what the organizations are at UGA that promote healthy 

lifestyles in regards to sexual activity?

Joel Roebuck

Sarah Sanderson

Nicole DeLange