Getting lucky. Hooking up. Rounding the bases. Young adults consider sex a casual, everyday occurrence, and it’s becoming a gamble.
A recent study shows that in New York alone, a tenth of high school students have had a partner of the same sex, which puts them at risk for forced sex and other dangerous behavior. According to surveys, however, a third of those students are straight. It’s risky, promiscuous behavior that increases the danger of sexual activity in general.
It only gets worse in college. Away from home, living with people your own age, and an abundant supply of alcohol makes it easy to fall into the culture of no-strings-attached sex.
The fact is that three out of every 10 girls will get pregnant before they’re 20. Despite the freedom, most college students are not responsible adults, which means they’re far from well equipped to deal with a child.
There are good parts to this. Thanks to the rampant number of teen pregnancies, shows like “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant” are much easier to produce. Studies have been proven that teens that watch shows like that, even once, have a greater awareness about pregnancy and teen parenthood. After watching an episode, a great number of teens in the study acknowledged that being a teen parent would be much harder than they previously thought.
Considering the rise in STDs, cervical cancer, and teen pregnancies in the last few years, it is time to implement a more current form of sex education. Making young adults aware of the risks and options is a better choice than preaching abstinence. Hormones and the overall atmosphere in college can make it extremely difficult to not partake.
While college is a place for exploration and fun, it’s not smart to take advantage of that situation. Don’t hook up with the frat boy just because you’re inebriated, and don’t follow that girl into her dorm room just because her roommate is gone for the weekend. Make smarter choices.
Abstinence is not the only option, but neither is sleeping around. There will always be those individuals who base value on bedpost notches, but not everyone is that way. Respect your body before anything else. People who ridicule you for that probably aren’t the classiest crew to begin with.
It’s OK to demand the use of a condom, or to keep your underwear on when you’re drunk. Risky sexual choices hurt you more than anyone else.
If potential pregnancies and STDs unnerve you, then think of the higher rate of dating violence. No one deserves to be physically or sexually abused, no matter what choices they make. However, making better, smarter choices can help reduce the likelihood of violence.
The riskier the behavior, the more dangerous the consequences are. Respect the power of your sexuality and the fact that you do have a choice.
Partake in some risky business at amurrell@asu.edu
