According to an article in The Scotsman, the owner of Durex, SSL International, reported that the demand for sex toys and pleasure-enhancing condoms has skyrocketed and that sales were up 7 percent in the first half of its fiscal year. Moreover, Cal State Long Beach health education assistant Heidi Burkey said the increase of condom use demonstrates people are having safer sex.
According to the Center for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, many young people engage in sexual intercourse at a tender age. By the time students leave high school, 47 percent of them have had sexual intercourse.
Some of the highest sexually transmitted disease rates in the country are derived from young people. In “A College Student’s Guide to Sexual Health” pamphlet in the Health Resource Center, a study indicated that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occur in 2 out of 3 people ranging from 25 and younger. Additionally, the study indicated that 1 in 4 Americans will contract an STD at some point in their lives.
“I want students to learn how to talk to their partners, to communicate with each other what sexual behaviors they are willing to engage in and what their limits are,” Burkey said.
Chlamydia is the most frequent reported STD with 3 out of 4 persons under the age of 25 having reported it. If left untreated, chlamydia can damage reproductive organs and lead to sterility. In the United States, human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common STD with 20 million people living with it. By the time women are 50 years old, 80 percent would have contracted HPV. Burkey said that 50 percent of sexually active people between the ages of 13 and 44 have already had HPV.
“One has to be comfortable with talking about sex and methods of protection,” said peer educator and Asian American studies major, Ben Cabangun. “Being close-minded or ignorant about ways to protect one’s self can contribute to a lack of communication in a relationship.”
In the article “The Future of Birth Control: Exciting new reasons to look forward to sex” in an issue of Self Magazine, a lineup of contraceptives that could be found in pharmacies or prescribed in the near future are listed.
Implanon is a contraceptive that is implanted in the upper part of the arm through a small incision and works for up to three years. Upon removal, one’s period would restart in a month.
The FDA is looking into lybrel, a contraceptive that would end all periods, for possible approval in 2007. Of those who suffer from PMS, 85 percent in studies have reported a decrease in symptoms through usage of this contraceptive. For men, the University of Kansas at Lawrence is working with gamendasole, a chemical compound that in the future may be apart of an ingredient to a birth control pill for men.
The article states, “More contraceptive options mean you may have years of stress-free sex ahead.” But Burkey said that although there has been an increase in contraceptives to choose from, they are not a substitute for condoms, “birth control only controls fertility. That’s it. It doesn’t prevent HIV or STDs.”
Burkey said that in order to prevent pregnancy, it is important to be meticulously disciplined when using birth control because most accidental pregnancies are caused by the operator.
“If I didn’t take it [contraceptives] seriously, I’d probably be pregnant. Honesty, is an important part of our relationship that keeps us both protected from these sorts of problems,” said kinesiology major Laurie Russo.
The best way, Burkey said, to prevent STDs and to have a healthy sex life is to reduce the number of partners, communicate honestly with the partner and practice mutual monogamy.
“Serial monogamy is a common social relationship issue amongst college students,” Burkey said, emphasizing that it is important that one gets tested between every set of partners no matter how long one was in the relationship.
In the Health Resource Center, students can find information and sign up for workshops on nutrition counseling, sexual health awareness workshops, HIV counseling and health information. Twice a week, sexual health awareness workshops are held at the Student Health Center to inform students on how to have healthier and safer sexual behavior. For more information, students can call (562) 985-4609 or visit hrc@csulb.edu.
