Letter to the Editor 2, 10/16/08

Dear Editor, ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In response to Steve Kaszycki’s letter about Pitt’s sexual health rating… Dear Editor, ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In response to Steve Kaszycki’s letter about Pitt’s sexual health rating and his concerns about free condoms, Student Health does not hand out free condoms in mass quantities. So it can hardly be said that Pitt has a ‘free condom program’ as implied by Kaszycki. There are some student groups that provide free condoms, but that is the prerogative of each group, most of which are led by undergraduates ‘mdash; not administrators. Even where free condoms are available, it is most often up to the student to take the initiative and obtain them. This is still teaching students to take responsibility for their sexual health, even if they don’t need to pay for condoms. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Kaszycki stated that college students need to learn responsibility. Though we pay for most of our meals, we greatly appreciate it when we occasionally get one for free. I believe the same is true of most students and condoms. There is nothing irresponsible about taking advantage of a free meal or a free condom. The irresponsible choice is to use no protection at all and to engage in unsafe sexual practices. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Kaszycki’s assertion that ‘a better measure of sexual health is commitment to single sexual partners’ shows remarkable ignorance of the plethora of lifestyles practiced not only by college students, but also by other responsible adults. Many very responsible people practice serial monogamy, keeping one partner for a length of time that might be as short as a few days, during which they are sexually exclusive. This is to say nothing of polyamory, in which one person may have multiple seriously committed romantic and sexual partners and engage in responsible sexual practices with all of them. People in any situation should practice safer sex, which for many includes condoms or other barriers. Kelly Coburn Vice President, Rainbow Alliance