DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Chief pharmacist Sharon Peppler restocks the pharmacy shelves with condoms Tuesday afternoon in the Campus Health Center. Campus health is offering cheap condoms in the hopes that more students will have protected sex if the price of contraceptives is low.

Surveys show that when condoms are cheaper, students are more likely to use them

In an effort to promote safer sex habits among UA students, Campus Health Services has begun selling condoms in bulk.

Leeann Hamilton, health educator for Campus Health, said the program began in December and is aimed at encouraging students who are sexually active to use condoms.

"Research shows that if condoms are cheaper and more available then the rate of use goes up," she said.

She said a survey conducted by Northern Illinois University found that condom use increased more than 100 percent when made more readily available.

Condoms can be bought in bulk at 100 for $10 or 250 for $25 at the Campus Health Center pharmacy.

Alexis Georgopoulos, an undeclared sophomore, said she agreed that if condoms were more available, students would use them more often.

"If condoms are cheaper then students better be having safe sex," she said.

Surveys conducted by Campus Health show that 75 percent of University of Arizona students have had sexual intercourse. The national average for college students is 72 percent, Hamilton said.

"Through our surveys we have noticed that more students, compared to previous years, are abstaining or have never had sex," she said.

Morghan Evano, a business freshman, said she has been in a dating relationship for the past three years and has been abstaining.

"The opportunity is there but I have chosen not to have sex," she said.

Hamilton said that 91 percent of the total student population is reducing its risk of sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy through limiting the number of sexual partners, using a condom, using birth control other than a condom or abstaining from sexual activity.

In a survey of UA students conducted by the health center in 2001, 40 percent of men and 33 percent of women said they used a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse.

"We hope to see those rates go up," she said.

David Hoover, manager of the HIV/STD program at Pima County Health Department, said that with groups of university students come college parties.

He said students should be clear on their behavioral limits before drinking.

"Students should plan ahead before partying and have a condom in their pocket," he said.

Tom Frawley, a business freshman, said students think about having safe sex, but when the opportunity comes around they may get careless.

"A lot of people take condoms with them, but whether it gets used or not is another story," he said.

Georgopoulos said students are aware of the risks of unprotected sex but have an "it won't happen to me" attitude.

"I think people are aware but don't want to recognize it. It's like they're in denial," she said.

On Feb. 13, as part of Sexual Responsibility Week, Pima County Health Department will be on the Mall to conduct free HIV testing.

For more information on safe sex practices call Leeann Hamilton at 621-4967 or email sextalk@u.arizona.edu.