Mr. Condom hands out 'safe sex'

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Jessica Yingling, biochemistry junior, and "Mr. Condom," psychology junior Kenneth Adams, give free condoms to psychology sophmore Steve Pachecon yesterday on the UA Mall. Campus Health Services sponsored the condom fair as part of National Condom Week.

Campus Health Services organized the appearance of the Mr. Condom mascot to help promote sexual awareness and safety.

"I like to think we present condoms and safe sex in a way that is not so intimidating to students so they feel free to ask questions," said Laura DeMuro, director of the Student Health Advisory Council.

Jim De Carion, education sophomore, said, "More people will be apt to use them (condoms) if they're more available."

University of Arizona students were not the only students exposed to Mr. Condom's message.

Junior high students, who were on campus soliciting college students' opinions, spotted the condom booths and noticed the educational information.

Lee Ann Hamilton, health educator for Campus Health Services, said, "Junior high is not too early to learn about safe sex, but I would encourage them to wait a long time (to have sex)."

Less than a quarter of students on the UA campus abstain from sex according to a Health Promotion and Preventive Services survey taken in April.

Of the 77 percent of students who are sexually active, 60 percent said they use a condom when they have intercourse "every" or "most" times.

Yet, those same students responded that in the last 30 days, only 41 percent have used a condom during intercourse.

Hamilton said, "Some students have told me that they use condoms the first several times they have sex with new partners but then stop ... they have the notion that if they know someone for a certain amount of time they feel safe."

The survey also revealed that 2.4 percent of UA students have contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

Though there are many sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS is generally the most publicized.

Campus Health Services tested about 500 people for the AIDS virus last year, said Marian Binder, clinical psychologist for the Campus Health Center.

Campus Health offers HIV testing for $20 Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., on a walk-in basis.

Pre-test appointments are required to evaluate people's risk factors, ask why they are seeking a test at this particular time, and answer any questions they might have about the testing procedures, Binder said.

"It is important to discuss why a person feels they should be tested and also to give them some basic education that will reduce risks in the future," she said. "The evaluation might reveal that they should be tested at a later date."

It takes up to six months for HIV antibodies to appear, Binder said.

The Pima County Health Department tested 6,922 people for AIDS during 1996. Of those between 20 to 29 years old, 191 tested positive. In the age group of 13 to 19 years, seven people tested positive.