Safe sex not Pitt’s strength

Trojan condoms conducted a survey of 100 schools from around the nation. Pitt’s sexual… Trojan condoms conducted a survey of 100 schools from around the nation. Pitt’s sexual health report card turned out mediocre at best.

The survey, which rated Pitt 65 out of 100 in sexual health, rated seven different aspects of a school’s sexual health services — Web site, condom availability, contraception, HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, sexual assault services, advice column and lecture or outreach programs.

Pitt’s sexual health GPA was calculated to be a 1.6.

“We live in a country with the highest rates of new STIs and unintended pregnancies of any Western nation,” Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing for Trojan, said. “And we applaud those schools that provide fact-based, accurate and comprehensive information about sexual health to all students.”

Trojan joined Sperling’s Best Places to conduct the survey at 100 universities — at least one from each state — chosen based on name recognition and size. Yale University was the only school that compiled a 4.0 and University of Notre Dame and Brigham Young University rounded out the bottom of the list, both receiving zeros.

Jaime Sidani, a health educator at Pitt who offers both sexual counseling and puts on presentations about sexual health for any campus group requesting her services, disagrees with the survey’s findings.

“First, they graded us an F in whether or not condoms are available. They are available,” she said. “They’re just not falling out of the sky.”

Sidani is always equipped with plenty of condoms — she hands them out at programs and offers them to whomever seeks her out for counseling. Pitt’s pharmacy also sells condoms at a discounted price, she said.

As for the C Pitt received in the contraception category, it isn’t giving credit to Student Health, Sidani said. Any student can make an appointment and receive prescriptions for birth control, while the pharmacy provides over-the-counter products.

“The system is pretty normal here, and I don’t know how it could be any better,” she said. “And I’m available for women to come and talk about the pros and cons [about different birth control options] and help them make an informed decision.”

The sexual health report card, which rated each category based on a scale from one to 10 and assigned a corresponding letter grade, gave Pitt’s sexual assault services a C as well.

“I would have liked to be contacted to be able to provide a description of our services,” said Mary Koch Ruiz, coordinator of Pitt’s Sexual Assault Services. “Pitt takes a proactive stance to prevent sexual assault on campus and we have all these services in place to help victims.”

Help regarding anything from stalking to sexual harassment to dating violence is available.

“Pitt offers confidential counseling services for any student who has been sexually assaulted or thinks he or she may have been sexually assaulted,” she said.

According to Trojan’s Web site, 19 million people will be diagnosed with an STI this year and more than 3 million unintended pregnancies will occur.

“We know that 18- to 24-year-olds use condoms only for one in four sex acts,” said Daniels. “With this survey, we hope to shine a light on the need for greater discussion about these issues, which can help lead to lower rates of infection and unintended pregnancies.”

Sidani blames what she calls the “it-can’t-happen-to-me mentality” for carelessness when it comes to sexual health.

“But STIs are more prevalent than people think and condoms aren’t 100 percent,” she said. “They may not prevent HPV and herpes, but they do prevent HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia.”

Sidani hopes more students will take advantage of her programs and the counseling she offers as the semester progresses.

“The great thing is that I’m just out of college, so I’m near the college student age,” she said. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there and if anyone has questions they just need to ask.”

Carmen Berkley, president of Campus Women’s Organization, agrees that education is a step in the right direction.

“I think this is important because a lot of times high school students aren’t learning about comprehensive sexual health anymore,” she said. “We want women, no matter their sexual orientation, to be practicing safe methods and to make sure people have the right information.”

This is why CWO’s first general body meeting each year is “Girl’s Night In,” where any topic or question about sex is fair game.

Pitt’s sexual health services are up to par, Berkley said, but she would like to see more opportunities for STI and HIV testing. Trojan’s report card graded Pitt’s HIV and STI testing with another C.

According to Sidani, as long as a student pays his student health fee, he is entitled to STI testing throughout the year and HIV testing, which is offered to students only once each year.

“I can’t stress it enough,” she said. “People should get tested if they are engaging in risky behavior.”