Contraception, condoms and communication are two key ingredients to practicing safe sex, especially on a college campus. Oftentimes, the college hookup culture can interfere with healthy decision-making, but both students and on-campus professionals believe that for the most part, Tufts students are effectively using the resources they are provided to practice safe sex.
According to Melanie Lown, director of communications and public awareness for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM), the majority of patients that come to Planned Parenthood are 18 to 24 years old.
"Seventy-five percent of PPLM's patients come for preventative care, including gynecology exams, cervical and breast cancer screening, birth control and emergency contraception," Lown explained. "Students … visit PPLM because they can access high-quality, affordable health care in a safe and confidential environment. We also make it convenient for people to get the care they need when they need it. We offer convenient walk-in hours and appointments, as well as affordable birth control. Many Tufts students visit our express health center, PLAN, in Davis Square, Somerville for birth control and STI screening and treatment."
On campus, Michelle Bowdler, senior director of Health and Wellness Services, explained that practicing safe sex is a significant area of interest to students.
"Our comment cards frequently mention what types of condoms we offer and make suggestions about them. Students also frequently discuss how to distribute condoms on campus, as well as information about safe sex practices," she said. "Our student health group [Prevention, Awareness and Consent at Tufts (PACT)] is very interested in this topic and hopes to be doing a lot of education in the months ahead. Students utilize all of our materials regarding safe sex practices. Many of our appointments are for STI screening, and safer sex practices are routinely discussed in gynecology exams."
And with student groups like Jumbos for Life and Voices for Choice (VOX)) debating issues related to contraception and abortion on campus, practicing safe sex is gaining visibility on both health-and-wellness and the political fronts.
Sophomore Lydia Mitts, co-chair of Tufts VOX, feels that no student should take the issue of sexual responsibility lightly.
"I think it's important that students take advantage of safe sex resources, regardless of gender," she said. "There are free condoms at multiple places on the campus and [Health Service] has excellent resources, all of which, if used, can create a healthier community here at Tufts," she said. "In the end, I'm less concerned with where students are getting safe sex resources, and more interested that they are using them. Here at VOX, our main concerns are just that — promoting safe sex practices, and making sure that the safe sex resources on campus are well known and as user-friendly as possible, so that students know about and are open to using them."
VOX is helping to make this goal a reality.
"We have done multiple condom distribution campaigns, including our annual distribution of safe sex goodie bags," Mitts said. "In the past, we have also held emergency contraception workshops on campus discussing the facts about it, how to get it on campus, and the politics of it. We are planning to hold another one this semester. [And] every year we have a sex fair which is a fun way to educate the campus about safe sex resources and information."
These efforts come in the face of a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 25 percent of teenage girls have a sexually transmitted infection.
"We recognize that young people need more information to keep themselves safe and healthy throughout their lives," Lown said. "Our VOX groups … have been critical in raising awareness and educating students about accessing sexual and reproductive health care options."
Despite the work of organizations like Planned Parenthood and VOX, college students still face challenges when it comes to practicing safe sex.
"I think a lot of it just has to do with the carelessness a lot of us experience when we're young," said Jessica Snow, a senior who taught The Socialization of Sexuality, an Experimental College class, last semester. "We really don't think it will happen to us. It's not … that it's actually hard to practice safe sex. I could walk into [Health Service] tomorrow and get a condom or a birth control prescription. But maybe I don't know if I'll be having sex this Saturday night, so I don't do either of those things, and then the opportunity [for sex] presents itself. Call it pure laziness or hastiness."
Laziness isn't the only reason that students don't always practice safe sex. Julie Jampel, director of postgraduate training and continuing education director from Counseling and Mental Health Services, explained that alcohol, a staple of college culture, interferes with the planning and good judgment needed to practice safe sex effectively.
"There are many reasons why a student may not practice safe sex or use birth control. Some of these reasons include wanting to feel that sex is spontaneous rather than something that has to be thought about in advance. It takes time to pursue resources, and some students may not want [to put] the time into seeking them out. Also, some students may not recognize the risk or may feel that the risk is too small to bother," Jampel said.
All of these symptoms are a part of the hookup culture that has become an almost inevitable part of university life. And while condoms may be abundant, communication is not. Bowdler notes that there is still a taboo surrounding talking about sex in general, let alone safe sex. Additionally, Jampel explained that some students don't feel comfortable bringing such issues up — or may feel that they don't know how to bring them up — without "ruining the mood."
"Emotionally safe sex requires that both parties know exactly what they're getting into and have communicated their expectations to one another," Snow said. "I don't think many people do this … Communication can be sexy, but people are still really unsure about how to make this happen."
This lack of openness and understanding is what organizations like those on and off campus are aiming to remedy.
"PPLM is normalizing sexual health in Massachusetts through our education and prevention programs and a public awareness campaign designed to get people talking about sexual health, what it means to be sexually healthy, and the changes necessary to improve sexual health in our culture," Lown said.
