Sexual Health — Protecting Yourself
Sex is everywhere — on TV and the Internet, in magazines, and maybe in the music you listen to on your iPod. But just because you hear about it everywhere, it doesn’t mean that you’re getting good information or messages. Whether you’re abstinent or sexually active, in a relationship or not, or gay or straight, everyone should learn about their sexual health and how to take care of it.
MYTH: Everyone in college has sex.
FACT: Some people in college have sex and some do not. It’s always your choice.
If you’re choosing to be abstinent, that’s a great choice. Complete abstinence from all sexual activity is the only 100 percent effective method of preventing unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, if you’re going to use abstinence to be completely safe, you can’t blur the lines of what counts as sex and what doesn’t.
MYTH: Oral sex isn’t really sex, so I don’t have to worry about it.
FACT: Oral sex is a form of sex and can transmit STIs like herpes and gonorrhea.
Oral, vaginal, and anal sex are all forms of sexual contact and can transmit STIs. Some infections can even be transmitted from hand-to-genital contact. Therefore, if you’re choosing to be sexually active, always use protection like latex condoms and latex dams. Choose your partner(s) wisely and consider being tested for HIV and STIs if you’ve put yourself at risk. Sex also has emotional consequences, sometimes good and sometimes bad, so you can’t ignore that part of it either.
MYTH: There’s no one on campus that I can talk to about sex or sexual health.
FACT: The Student Health Center (PUSH) has education, counseling, and medical staff who can answer your questions and provide care for your sexual health.
If you have questions about your sexual or reproductive health, if you’re looking for STI testing or birth control, or if you’d like free condoms and safer sex materials, PUSH can help. A great place to start is the Student Wellness Office, located on the second floor in room 201. Not only do they hand out free condoms and pamphlets, but they can also direct you to other resources you might want or need. If you have a question, bring it to them! Stop by, call them at (765) 494-WELL, or visit their Web site at www.purdue.edu/studentwell.