By Mary Fan
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 8, 1997

Contraception 101

Robert Henry Becker Arizona Daily Wildcat Laura DeMuro, community health education senior, after fitting a female condom into a model vagina and reproduction system, explains to a small group of female participants how to maintain its proper use during sexual intercourse. The group learned about different contraception techniques and their reliability.

In the Campus Health Center Room B, a handful of students watch Contraceptives 101 instructor Holly Avey carefully smooth a deep purple condom over a wooden phallus.

"Pinch the top as you're rolling it on the penis," Avey says. "Smooth out the air bubbles along the shaft and use water-based lubricant to reduce friction."

She adds that, while many people are familiar with how condoms work, failure rates range from 12 percent for typical use to 2 percent for perfect use.

"These are steps to get toward perfect use," she says.

But this free, one-hour contraception class offered three times a week isn't just about condoms.

In the class, trained instructors like community health education senior Laura DeMuro lead students through contraception options from the female condom to emergency contraception, which consists of taking large amounts of oral contraceptives 72 hours after unprotected sex.

"People have heard of them, but as to how they work - people don't always know because they've never really asked or had someone show them," DeMuro said.

Molecular and cellular biology freshman Chantelle Botkin concurred.

"So many people act like they know so much about it, but they really don't," Botkin said. "They don't want to admit to each other that they don't know."

To clear up confusion, much of the class is filled with demonstrations using the wooden phallus and a plastic model of a vagina.

Instructors show students how to insert diaphragms, female condoms and cervical caps.

Correct usage goes a long way to minimize the failure rate of any contraceptive aid or technique, Avey said. All contraceptive methods have associated risks and benefits and none have a zero failure rate - save abstinence.

Students also hear of the risks and benefits of natural family planning, contraceptive injections, withdrawal, intrauterine devices, the birth control pill, Norplant, sterilization and emergency contraception.

Avey said the information could prove valuable because according to three Campus Health Center surveys in 1997:

• 75 percent of University of Arizona students have had sexual intercourse

• 86 percent of UA students are sexually active with one person

• 12 percent of UA students are sexually active with multiple partners

• 11 percent of UA students have experienced an unwanted pregnancy

Knowledge of contraception options and their correct use helps in prevention of unwanted pregnancies and some sexually transmitted diseases, said instructor Aly Long, a Latin American studies senior.

"We're trying to get the knowledge to them beforehand to help prevent anything that's unwanted in their later life," Long said.

Many students get referred to the class when they go to the health center for a birth control pill prescription. The class is a requirement before obtaining such a prescription.

"The majority of the people come in already knowing what they want, but their needs may change over the course of their lifetime, so it's important for us to share all of the methods," Avey said.

"We really encourage couples to come, because it's important men be aware that responsibility doesn't lie solely on the woman," Long added.

Molecular and cellular biology sophomore Ryan Chirnomas accepted this responsibility.

"If both partners have to deal with the burden of the consequences, both should take responsibility," Chirnomas said.

Education junior Allison Liewer added, "I think it's a good idea for people to be educated on how to keep themselves safe."

To take the class, one should show up at one of the weekly scheduled times -Monday from 1 to 2 p.m., Tuesday from 2 to 3 p.m. and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Campus Health.

Birth Control Methods

Method	Effectiveness	STD Protection
Abstinence	100%	Excellent
The Pill (Oral Contraceptive)	97%-99.5%	None
Norplant	Greater than 99%	None
Vaginal Spermicide	70%-97%	Minimal
Male Condom	88%-98%	Very good
Female Condom	79%-95%	Good
Intrauterine Device (IUD)	98%-99.4%	None
Withdrawal	81%-96%	None
Contraceptive Injections	Greater than 99%	None
Diaphragm and Spermicidal Cream or Jelly	82%-94%	Minimal
Cervical Cap	82%-91%  (Never had a child)	Minimal
	64%-74%  (Had a child)
Natural Family Planning	70%-95%	None
Sterilization	98%-99%	None
Emergency Contraception	75%	None

Courtesy of Campus Health Center