Buzz - Student Health Services Newsletter
(Vol. 1) |
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Sexual Health and Sexual Responsibility Week
The following information is provided through a brand new website:
www.smartersex.org and also
information provided by the Bacchus Gamma Peer Education Network.
For additional information please go to the website.
Contents
- The Bacchus Gamma Statement on Sexual Responsibility
- Do’s and Don’ts about Condoms
- Ten tips for safe and smart sex
- STI Myths and Facts
- Contraceptive Quiz
- Abstinence Advantages and Disadvantages
- Relating and Dating
- Additional Websites
The Bacchus Gamma Statement on Sexual Responsibility
Sexual Responsibility begins with values, communication and knowledge.
First and foremost, one must define his/her personal values with
regards to engaging in sexual activity. These values are supported
by maturity, self esteem, knowledge, self-control and healthy attitudes
and behaviors. The values of a sexually responsible person include:
- understanding that sexuality is a natural and healthy aspect
of human life
- communicating personal thoughts and feelings to one’s
partner, and seeking to know and understand a partner’s
thoughts and feelings
- working to achieve consensual, healthy relationships through
honesty and openly valuing the rights and limits of self and others
- being non-manipulative and only practicing safe and mutually
consensual sexual behaviors
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Do's and Don'ts About Condoms
No matter what kind of sex you decide to have -- oral, vaginal,
or anal -- a condom is your best protection against STIs. But if
you don't know how to use a condom correctly, it can't protect you
or your partner as well. It's not as simple as you think, and it's
a good idea to practice before you find yourself "on the spot."
- Check the expiration date to make sure the condom is "good."
Most condoms have a shelf life of four years if kept in a cool,
dry place.
- Carefully rip open an edge of the packaging, making sure not
to damage the condom. Teeth and scissors are not optimal.
Hint: For a condom to really be useful, it needs to be put on
before there has been any penetration.
- Hold the tip of the condom and roll it down while the penis
is erect, leaving a "receptacle" reservoir at the end
of the condom for sperm to collect. The rolled "lip"
of the condom should be on the outside as it is being rolled down.
If rolling it seems difficult, you might have the condom inside
out. Condoms don't work if they are inside out!!!
- Make sure you withdraw the penis while it is still erect so
that the sperm stays inside the condom.
- Hold base ring of condom as you withdraw so condom doesn't slip
off.
- Before disposing of the condom, check it for rips or holes,
wrap it in tissue paper and throw it away in an appropriate place.
Condoms clog toilets, so don't put them there.
- If you notice tears or holes, you should alert your partner
so you know what type of action to take. If a condom breaks or
leaks, women can use emergency contraception as a back-up - but
she needs to start emergency contraception within five days of
the "accident" for EC to work. Remember, the sooner
EC pills are taken, the better your chances of preventing pregnancy.
- Use a new condom for each act of intercourse!
Other condom caveats:
- Use only water-based lubricants with latex condoms. Any type
of oil - petroleum jelly, baby oil, bath oil, etc. - will destroy
the latex and make the condom useless.
- It's always a good idea to carry around more than one condom,
in case the first one rips or breaks while you are putting it
on.
- Condoms can be used in the water (i.e., the shower, etc.). However,
if water gets under or in the condom, it can't offer protection.
- If you are allergic to latex, look for condoms made with polyurethane
or synthetic rubber. Animal skin condoms aren't a good idea -
they won't protect against HIV.
- Condoms come in different shapes, colors, sizes, flavors - so
have some fun with them.
www.justrubbers.com; adapted
from Contraceptive Technology, 17th revised edition (1998), by Robert
Hatcher, M.D., MPH, James Trussell, Ph.D., Felicia Stewart, M.D.,
et. al.
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Ten Tips for Safe & Smart Sex
 |
| Who's "Covering Up" Under
the Covers?: |
| Smarter Sex Survey reports that 48 percent
of students say they used condoms when they had intercourse
in the last year. |
| Click
here for more survey results. |
Sex has always been a popular topic. Who's having it, who's not,
where they are having it and how often. But in all that sex talk,
the basics sometimes get lost. Talking about sex - with your partner,
a peer educator or a healthcare professional - before you actually
have sex is smart. Here are 10 simple things you can do, say and
think about now before you have sex:
- Talk smart sex first. Have smart sex later. STIs and unintended
pregnancies affect both partners, not just one person. If you
feel uncomfortable discussing sex and birth control with your
partner, then you shouldn't be having sex! Be straightforward
and talk about sex beforehand so both partners know what to expect.
It's easier to be rational and reasonable before you're in the
"heat of the moment!"
- Two are better than one! To help prevent both pregnancy and
STIs, you should correctly and consistently use a birth control
method like the Pill, Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection or
diaphragm (for pregnancy prevention) and a condom (to prevent
STIs). Condom use is essential, especially in relationships that
are not monogamous. If your partner says no to contraceptives
that may prevent STIs, like condoms, it's probably time to rethink
your relationship. Nothing is worth the potential lifetime consequences
of a few minutes of unprotected fun.
- Don't feel pressured to have sex. Or have sex out of fear -
fear of hurting someone's feelings by saying no or fear of being
the "only one" who isn't doing it. Virtually everyone
wants to fit in with his or her friends, but you should never
compromise your values to be "part of the crowd." If
you don't want to have sex, be honest, discuss the reasons behind
your decision with your partner and stay true to you.
- Don't abuse alcohol/use drugs if you think things could get
physical. Drug use or alcohol abuse interferes with decision-making,
which can lead to date rape, forgetting to use contraceptives
or contracting an STI. The lowering of inhibitions that often
accompanies alcohol use might make you think you'll enjoy sex
more, but in fact, for a variety of biochemical reasons, too much
alcohol actually makes sex less enjoyable for both men and women.
- Use the buddy system. If you go to a party or a bar, go with
friends and keep an eye out for each other. Agree that you won't
leave with another person without telling someone. Sometimes a
friend's "second opinion" could help prevent you from
making decisions that you might regret later.
- Remember that "no" means NO and passed out doesn't
mean YES. Being drunk isn't a defense for committing sexual assault
or a reason for being a victim of sexual assault. If you are too
drunk to understand a person trying to say no; if you are too
drunk to listen and respect a person saying no; or if you have
sex with somebody who is passed out or incapable of giving consent,
it can be considered rape. Click
here to read about how men and women can avoid the consequences
of date rape.
- Respect everyone's right to make his/her own personal decision
- including yourself. There is no imaginary "deadline,"
no ideal age, no perfect point in a relationship where sex has
to happen. If your partner tells you that he or she is not ready
to have sex, respect his/her decision, be supportive and discuss
the reasons behind it. It is everyone's ultimate right to decide
when and how they have sex - be it the first time or the tenth
time.
- Be prepared for a sex emergency. Consider carrying two condoms
with you just in case one breaks or tears while it's being put
on. Both men and women are equally responsible for preventing
STIs, using contraceptives and both should carry condoms. Sometimes
things go wrong even when you try to do everything right. Maybe
the condom broke or you forgot to take your birth control pill.
Whatever the reason, women should know about emergency contraception
or EC. Taken within 72 hours of intercourse, EC may prevent pregnancy.
Click
here for more information about EC.
- The best protection doesn't mean less affection. Abstinence
is actually the most effective way to protect against STIs and
prevent pregnancy. But practicing abstinence doesn't mean you
can't have an intimate physical relationship with someone - it
just means you don't have vaginal or anal intercourse. There are
many other ways to be intimate and not have intercourse - just
be aware that alternatives, like oral sex, carry their own risks.
Click
here to read more about practicing abstinence and risks of oral
sex.
- Make sexual health a priority. Whether you are having sex or
not, both men and women need to have regular check-ups to make
sure they are sexually healthy. Women should have annual gynecological
exams. In fact, most campus doctors book months in advance - make
your appointment today! Click
here to find and contact your college health center.
Depo-Provera® doesn't protect you from HIV/AIDS or other
sexually transmitted diseases. As with other forms of hormonal
birth control, some women using DEPO-PROVERA experience side effects.
The most common side effects are irregular periods or spotting.
Many women stop having periods altogether after a few months and
some may experience a slight weight gain. You shouldn't use DEPO-PROVERA
if you think you could be pregnant, if you have had any unexplained
periods, or if you have a history of breast cancer, blood clots,
stroke, or liver disease. When using Depo-Provera, there may be
a possible decrease in bone density.
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STI Myths and Facts
- One in five people in the United States has an STI
- Two-thirds of all STIs occur in people 25 years of age or younger
- Cervical cancer in women is linked to Human Papillomavirus
- Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV
- STIs, other than HIV, cost about $8 billion each year to diagnose
and treat
- One in five Americans have genital herpes, yet at least 80
percent of those with herpes are unaware they have it
- At least one in four Americans will contract an STI at some
point in their lives
- Human Papilloma virus is the most common STI in the United
States
- More than 5 million people are infected with HPV each year
- Less than half of adults ages 18 to 44 have ever been tested
for an STI other than HIV/AIDS
- At least 15 percent of all infertile American women are infertile
because of tubal damage caused by pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID), the result of an untreated STI
- Two-thirds of Hepatitis B (HBV) infections are transmitted
sexually and are linked to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis
and liver cancer
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Contraceptive Quiz
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Advantages & Disadvatages
Advantages
- Abstinence from vaginal and anal intercourse is free and available
to everyone.
- If adhered to, it is extremely effective at preventing both
pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
- It has no medical or hormonal side effects.
- Abstinence may encourage people to build relationships in other
ways.
Disadvantages
- If you're counting on abstinence, and you change your mind in
the "heat of the moment," you might not have birth control
readily available to you.
- If semen spills on or near the vagina, pregnancy is still possible,
even without penetration.
- Even without vaginal or anal penetration, other sexual activity
such as oral sex can expose you to STIs, and awareness of this
is important.
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Relating, Dating, and Sex
 |
| One Night Stand or Long-term Love?: |
| Smarter Sex Survey reports that 90 percent
of male students said they would not consider a woman "girlfriend
material" if she agrees to have sex on the first date. |
| Click
here for more survey results. |
With so many issues to think about as you decide to become sexually
active, it's easy to forget about what relationships should be built
on. We can all think of one couple who seems to have the "perfect"
relationship, one built on mutual respect and care for each other.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true as well. Most of us can think
of one person who is in a relationship that seems to be built on
guilt, defensiveness, or where one person has more control or power
than the other. So what's healthy and what's unhealthy? How do we
make sure we get what we deserve in both friendships and romantic
relationships? Well, it starts with four basic principles:
RESPECT
When two people are in a relationship, there should be mutual respect
for each person as an individual, and for the joy that is created
when they come together. A healthy partnership means learning about
the other person and valuing what is important to him or her. Respect
in a sexual relationship asks for each partner to feel valued enough
to talk openly about their desires and fears on a sexual level.
Each partner should have respect for his or her own body, and should
feel comfortable choosing whether or not to be sexually active and
if so, at what pace and level.
HONESTY
Most people would agree that honesty is crucial to any relationship.
At the same time, true honesty about our thoughts and feelings about
what we want to happen in the relationship, is a challenge to accomplish.
Certainly in any type of relationship, especially a sexual one,
honesty is very powerful, and for some people, down right scary.
Men and women hide in a number of ways, from trying to portray themselves
as someone they are not, to not listening to their own thoughts
or the other person's. A person may not be ready to have sex with
their partner, but fear honesty because they don't trust the relationship.
This brings us to our next building block.
TRUST
Trust means you can count on each other and that the other person
will be there for you. Trust doesn't come easy, and for most people,
needs to be earned over time. There is nothing worse than a broken
promise to take away trust. Promises should not be taken lightly.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is critical to the other three ingredients. It is
how we show our respect, honesty, and trust. Listening to others
and really 'hearing them," so we respond and follow through
on what they are requesting, is a sign of a strong relationship.
In a relationship that may be sexual, communication can't be compromised.
Partners need to be able to talk about whether they are comfortable
with the level of sexual activity they are considering BEFORE the
fact.
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Additional Websites
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