Spontaneous, planned, casual – whatever your flavor, share the love responsibly.
High schools and middle schools more than covered that the most effective way to avoid pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) is abstinence. But let’s get real – this is college and sex is fun.
The college years are notorious for new sexual experiences, but who is to say making sex safe isn’t just as fun? This week is National Condom Awareness Week and Armstrong urges “don’t be a fool, wrap your tool.”
Though the use of condoms to reduce the probability of pregnancy and contracting STDs is a well-known fact – the truth is that college students aren’t using them.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only 50% of college students use condoms. There are a variety of reasons that seem to affect the use of condoms, but none of them are justifiable.
Chances are that you have or will find yourself or your partner trying to use one of these justifications.
- Some people use a condom during their first sexual experience with that partner, but the use declines over time.
- Some feel that pregnancy is the only thing they need to be protected from.
- There are much worse outcomes than becoming pregnant – aka AIDS.
- A latex allergy
- There are non-latex condoms.
- Condoms cost too much and college students are poor.
- Health Services provides “one envelope containing 3 or 4 condoms” to each student FOR FREE.
- The sensation fades when using a condom.
- There are a variety of condoms engineered for increased pleasure, such as dotted, ribbed, and studded condoms.
- It is the heat of the moment and neither you nor your partner has one handy.
- Drug stores are everywhere.
- Buying condoms is embarrassing.
- So are the possible repercussions of unsafe sex.
People these days know STDs to be treatable and manageable; therefore, using a condom for more than birth control does not cross their mind. The CDC needs those in their early twenties to know that they have “the highest number of reported cases of syphilis and HIV every year” and that “Americans ages 15-24 contract chlamydia and gonorrhea at four times the rate of the general population.”
Condoms come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are available in glow-in-the-dark and flavored! There are even condoms made specifically for women that stay in place even if the man does not maintain an erection and are made of non-latex materials.
In 2013, Bill Gates called out to all inventors to create a “next generation condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure” and promotes regular use.
Condoms are available at two locations on Armstrong’s campus. The Health Services building, which is open Monday –Friday from 9a.m. to 5p.m., but closes for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30, provides one free package of condoms. The Pantry carries a variety of Trojan condoms, such as ribbed, ultra-thin, and her pleasure for $2.69. And for those guys who are “too big,” The Pantry also carries Magnum. Their new operation hours are Monday ‐ Friday from 8:30am‐1:00am and Saturday- Sunday from 12:00pm-1:00am.
College is a time for experimentation, but not for stupidity. So this Valentine’s Day, show your love by remembering that you are not just protecting yourself, you are protecting your partner too.
