EDITORIAL – So you’re too cool for safe sex?

A recent study of college students found that attractive, self-confident guys and women with… A recent study of college students found that attractive, self-confident guys and women with self-esteem deficits are more likely to take risks when having sex.

At Penn State University, 434 students ages 17 to 19 participated in this study of first-year students. The study found that 59 percent of students surveyed are sexually active, and about two-thirds of these students admitted that they don’t use a condom every time they have intercourse. About half of the sexually active students in the study also said that alcohol is a factor in their sexual activity.

According to the study, “sexually active students reported less dissatisfaction with their looks and a more positive body image on average.” The difference is that while women fitting this criterion are less likely to engage in unsafe sexual behavior, men are found to be more likely. Adults possessing these qualities perpetuate the findings by indicating that confident adult women use condoms more frequently and have fewer lifetime partners than men who use protection less frequently and have more lifetime sex partners.

We need a study to tell us this?

Sure, our worlds aren’t rocked by these findings but it sure is a sad reminder that there are still coeds out there who don’t wrap it up.

You’d think that at this point in our lives, after years of sex education, safe sex wouldn’t just be a practice – it’d be a habit. OK, maybe we’re a tad idealistic, but seriously guys, where are your condoms? Yes, you “might be” attractive and confident, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be safe.

Many men use the excuse that their partner is using oral contraceptives as an excuse to skip the rubber. No form of contraceptive is 100 percent reliable against pregnancy. And we’re still neglecting the issue of STIs. Gentlemen: When did it become OK to not protect yourself against contracting something nasty down there? The study shows that you are having sex with more partners. It just makes sense to protect yourself from contracting and spreading disease. Have you forgotten about AIDS? It didn’t go away with the ’90s. Most people don’t even know that they have these diseases, as many of them are symptom-free.

The study also singles out ladies with a less positive body image as being more likely to make poor sexual decisions. These women are less likely to insist that protection is used and more likely to have multiple partners, perhaps as a way of making themselves feel desired. No one should disrespect herself enough to not use protection. Ladies, you deserve it, and it’s not impolite to demand it. If he respects you enough to sleep with you, it shouldn’t be an imposition for him to use protection. Do you really think he’ll get up and go play Xbox if you ask him to wrap it up? It’s your responsibility to be accountable for your sexual decisions and it’s not a bad idea to have some condoms around – that’s not just his job. You also won’t have an excuse not to use it.

Apparently, we are not as educated as we thought, or maybe we’re just not practicing what we’ve been taught. Either way, the resources are out there to protect yourself if you are sexually active – often with little or no cost. Use them. Start healthy lifelong habits now. It’s just smart.

After all, there’s only one organ in your body that will protect you from STIs and other risky behavior – your brain.