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By Melanie Klein
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 25, 1996
Less than a quarter of UA students abstain from sexual intercourse, but those that do have sexual intercourse say they practice safe sex "most" of the time.Yet the facts don't always reflect these good intentions. Of the 77 percent of students who are sexually active on campus, 60 percent said they use a condom when they have intercourse "every" time or "most" times. Those same students responded that in the last 30 days only 41 percent had used a condom during intercourse, according to Health Promotion and Preventive Services' annual survey taken in April 1996.
"I don't think we found that having unprotected sex was a good idea, but when it comes right down to it is when good intentions go down," said Holly Avey, a campus health educator.
Catie Musselwhite, biology freshman said, "I think students are practicing safe sex because more people are aware of STDs (Sexually transmitted diseases), AIDS and getting pregnant."
The survey revealed 2.4 percent of students had contracted a sexually transmitted disease and 8 percent "of students have experienced an unintended pregnancy."
"This statistic may mean that students need to pay more attention to contraceptive methods even though they are practicing safe sex," Avey said.
The Campus Health Center offers birth control classes three times a week: Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m., and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon and 3 to 4 p.m.
The classes discuss different methods of birth control, failure rates, costs and advantages and disadvantages of birth control.
About 100 students take advantage of the service each semester, she said.
The Campus Health Center also offers HIV testing Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. for $20. Test results are available within a week.
The University of Arizona has offered AIDS testing for the last eight years, and approximately 500 students use the service each year.
"Compared to generation to generation, these students are more aware of safe sex and using protection," Avey said.
Elaine Grimm, first year UA law student whose daughter also attends the school, said sexual activity "is more accepted nowadays, but I still think sexual activity is the same as it used to be on campuses."
Sexual activity is a reality for 79 percent of females and 76 percent of males on campus, but activity does not equal promiscuity.
The students who filled out the survey may surprised to find out that "the most frequent number of sexual partners in the current school year for U of A students is one" while they predicted three.
"This is a very important point," Avey said. "Students tend to have the impression that more students are having sex than they are."
"It's a relief when they find out they are closer to the norm than they had thought," she said.
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