A sex savvy semester, tips for him and her on rape prevention

Editor’s Note: The Pitt News sex column sometimes deals with graphic material that… Editor’s Note: The Pitt News sex column sometimes deals with graphic material that may offend some readers.

Welcome to college, what most people describe as the best time of their semi-adult life. In case the coed dorms didn’t tip you off, sex plays a significant role in the bliss and joy you will experience in your stay here at Pitt.

Many of us arrive into this ether we call college innocent and, for the most part, oblivious as to how to use our nether regions to give and receive supreme sexual satisfaction. My job as sex columnist is to ensure that every Tuesday you’ll get a lesson that will last you a lifetime.

This semester is all about becoming sex savvy. This doesn’t just apply to the actual sex you have, but also pertains to guaranteeing that in all of your relationships you are in complete control because you have an acute understanding of yourself and what realistic options you have as a sexually active individual.

Meet Rose. I’m not pre-med and I have no aspirations to be in the medical field. What I do have is a hearty fascination with sex and sexuality as they exist on this campus and in today’s social context. I am an English writing major who dedicates a lot of my free time to sex research. While last semester a lot of it was based on general information, this semester’s sex column will truly reflect information I have gathered on the sexual agenda here at Pitt.

This includes information received from specialists from the Counseling Center, te Medical Arts Building and other institutions here at Pitt that promote not only a healthy sex life, but also your overall mental and physical health.

Also, we will have something new that will be featured every month called the “Couple Close-Up.” This is basically an interview with an anonymous couple here at Pitt in which they talk about their sex life, obstacles they’ve overcome and lessons they’ve learned along the way.

FYI: while this specific line of questioning might be geared toward the committed relationship, in the essence of fairness, those who are in beneficial friendships, and those who are in casual relationships will also have a month to shine.

So don’t be deterred by the implications of the couple before close-up. The purpose of the couple close-up is to get a firsthand account of how Pitt students function in relationships.

As is customary, questions will be featured twice a month from the inquiring minds at Pitt who maybe just can’t seem to get a sex position right or are completely stumped with how to effectively communicate a sexual issue with their partner. Feel free to send your sex questions, and as long as they’re legitimate, you might just get a response in the paper.

To make sure we all get off to a good start this school year, I want to address the issue of sexual and dating violence on college campuses. While Pitt only had a total of 14 reported forcible sex offenses in 2003, college women are at a heightened risk for rape in their first few weeks of their freshman and sophomore years, according to the Department of Justice.

Sometimes men and women will unknowingly put themselves at risk to sexually assault someone or be sexually assaulted. Because men are usually targeted for the former, we’ll discuss them first.

A group called Men Can Stop Rape recently put out a press release with tips to aid men in rape prevention. Among other things, talking it over and getting a woman’s perspective was high on their list.

Another important tip was to be aware of pop culture’s message. For example, music videos and some of the behavior shown in them aren’t necessarily appropriate for real life situations. And it should go without saying that no is always no, keeping in mind that sex can become non-consensual even if it didn’t start out that way.

For women, there are several things you can do to protect yourself. It’s important that you be aware of what rapists look for in some of their victims. Women with hair that can be easily grabbed — ponytails, buns or braids — are targeted more than women with short hair. Women with clothing that can easily be removed are also targets.

In addition, women who are busy on their cell phone or engaging in other distracting activities are more common targets. The three most common places to be raped are grocery store parking lots, office parking lots/garages and public restrooms. So avoid iPod and cell phone usage when you are in these environments.

Other tips: Carry pepper spray. Try to fit in a self-defense class while you are here at Pitt. Be aware of the messages you are sending and how they can be misconstrued. Avoiding compromising situations when you are intoxicated or have no intentions of being intimate with someone is the key to prevention.

Remember when it comes to sex: Always be smart, be safe, and be savvy. E-mail Rose at sex@pittnews.com.