By On-campus housing is a transitionary phase for many young adults.
Although confined and sharing a space with roommates, that doesn’t stop students from having sex in residential housing. For this reason, there are resources provided to students to allow them to make informed choices if they do wish to have sex.
One way the university addresses the topic without being explicit is reminding students about safe sex. Among resources like free condoms throughout campus, the one most advertised to students is Student Health Services.
Allison Borwell Insunza is a health education specialist at Student Health Services and works in junction with other sex education resources on campus.
“It’s ok to talk about sex. I encourage you to communicate clearly with all of your sex partners about STI status, as well as your plan to prevent STIs and pregnancy, if that applies,” Insunza said. “If you are unsure of how to start that conversation, you can schedule a one-on-one with a health educator to discuss effective partner communication techniques.”
According to the 2024 National College Health Assessment, information that was provided by Insunza, CSULB students reported 0.2% (6 students) being diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, 1.1% (36 students) being diagnosed with chlamydia and approximately 1% (approx. 22 students) being diagnosed gonorrhea.
In addition to having counselors, physicians and other on-campus health workers educated in safe sex, Student Health Services also hosts “SexTopia,” as well as the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies’ event, “Sex Positive” week. These events feature discussions on sex-related topics for students to learn from.
Students living in the dormitories, as pictured on Oct. 1, can speak to resident advisors about what events and resources regarding safe sex will occur in the housing. Photo credit: Jaylyn Preslicka
However, while these resources seek to promote safe sex to the campus body, the utilization of the resources ultimately matters most. When moving into dorms, there isn’t a how-to guide on having sex, and there are no official rules on what you are allowed and are not allowed to do.
Unlike typical renting agreements where there are no regulations to when others are allowed over, the dorms differ within their policies. Since they are Long Beach State property, there are certain guidelines that the students must follow regardless of age, including only two non-resident overnight visits a month.
The CSULB 2024-2025 Community Living Guide, the handbook that all on-campus housing students must abide by, does not provide clear guidelines regarding sex.
Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life at CSULB, Corry Colonna, notes that the general consensus among students and residential advisors is that communication is of the utmost importance.
“We do not prohibit consensual sexual activities, however, residents should not be engaging in sexual activity while their roommates are present, whether that be with a partner or by themselves. If roommates are in a relationship, that is obviously a different matter,” Colonna said. “Most of our students live in double rooms and triple rooms, so we ask residents and their roommates to talk through their expectations with one another during their roommate agreements.”
The agreements, Colonna said, can cover topics ranging from cleanliness, to noise and guests.
University rules contain sections regarding visitors, Title IX and mention of STD/HIV testing through the Health and Wellness Department, but no rules about sex. Since the universities’ rules aren’t explicitly listed, students have created their own social rules.
Psychology major Cynthia Carbajal lived in the Beachside dorms her freshman year at CSULB, though now lives off-campus. In her experience living in the dorms, she says there were resources provided, but students main avenue of communication has always been an informal roommate agreement.
“I think a big [social] norm was communicating to your roommates about when you wanted to bring someone over. Usually, you’d want to bring someone over if you knew your roommate was going to be gone for a weekend,” Carbajal said. “I heard from some of my guy friends that it was more common for men to bring someone over to their dorm with no communication beforehand which would make things really awkward.”
The university does acknowledge that students will have sex within the dorms, no matter the restrictions that are placed upon them. For this reason alone, they make the Title IX zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault well known.
When first-year students are set to live in campus housing, they are required to attend a seminar before the first day of the semester titled “Zero Shades of Gray,” an interactive event where students learn about sexual assault and how to approach the topic.
Important reminders to students about consent and sexual assault can be seen in Long Beach State dormitory common areas, as pictured on Oct. 1. Photo credit: Jaylyn Preslicka
The University Housing and Residential Life page of the CSULB Student Affairs website does link to Title IX, the anti-discrimination and anti-sexual assault bill every CSU is required to follow.
The page does acknowledge that sexual assault can be an issue on campus, and notes, “The first 6 weeks of the academic year is nationally known as the ‘Redzone’ when there is a much higher likelihood of experiencing sexual assault, particularly for first-year students.”
Within the dorms, there are banners reminding students of Title IX and what they can do if a sexual assault does happen within campus housing.
Safe sex is an important aspect of learning how to navigate adult life. During the transitional period of college, resources and information should be learned by students upon experiencing their first steps towards adult life.
Although the culture around sex may have changed, the informal rules of communication and consent will remain a constant.
