University students love sex. At least that's what they said in a Daily Pennsylvanian survey of campus social life and sexual practices conducted earlier this month. The data is consistent with last year's Ivy League Poll, conducted by Assistant Adjunct American Civilization Professor Frank Luntz, which suggested that University students are more promiscuous than their Ivy League counterparts. The 60-question poll, given to 405 students during a one-week period, exposed many intriguing facts about University students, including how many sexual partners they have had and how often they use birth control. The poll also evoked a wide variety of opinions, ranging from who should pay on the first date to how satisfied the respondents are with their sex lives. It just may provide the answers to all the sexual questions you were afraid to ask. A little more than a quarter of the students polled in the DP survey said they were virgins, and another quarter said they had had sex with only one partner in their lifetime. In the Ivy League poll -- produced by 12 University students -- almost 36 percent of the 3,119 students from the eight Ivies polled said they were virgins. University students who have had sex also lost their virginity earlier than other Ivy League students, according to the respective polls. Almost 79 percent of University students lost their virginity between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, whereas only 44 percent of Ivy Leaguers did so at that age. And while only four percent of Ivy League students said they lost their virginity before their 15th birthday, almost 11 percent of University students said they had. As University students get older and presumably more experienced, their habits seem to change -- but in the opposite direction of what one might expect. For instance, while students were prone to spend one to six months with their first partner before having sex with them, they waited a shorter amount of time -- one week to three months -- with their most recent partner. While 80 percent of those polled said they used a condom during intercourse their first time, only 47 percent said they "always" use a condom during sex. Thirteen percent said they "rarely" or "never" use a condom. Director of Health Education Susan Villari said last night she is not surprised about condom usage dropping with time. "I think there's still a perception that you can scope out people who are HIV negative," she said. "There's a perception among Penn students that [they] are not at risk for HIV because they're very bright and won't be exposed to HIV." Villari added that there is "a lot of misinformation out there" about risk factors for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. College junior and peer educator for Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health Aly Cohen said the general apprehension that comes with one's first sexual encounter is what causes one to be more careful. "There's such a stigma with the first time you have sex," she said. "It's hyped up and a big deal [so people] get scared." Cohen added that people get lazier about protection as they have more sex, because they take sex for granted. Still, a condom is the birth control measure of choice for students, followed by birth control pills, and then a combination of the two. Although a greater number of students participate in oral sex than in "regular" sex -- 67 percent -- nearly three-quarters of those students said they have never used a condom during oral sex. And interestingly enough, more than 70 percent of the students polled said they would be more worried about pregnancy than about AIDS if a condom should break during intercourse. Villari said despite the availability of Morning After Contraception at Student Health Services, students are still more worried about pregnancy than about AIDS. She attributes this to a "perception that HIV is not on campus and students don't need to worry about it." When it comes to their social lives and sex lives, University students are more than satisfied. Approximately 82 percent of students polled said they were satisfied with the social life in general at the University, which surprised Interfraternity Council President Hayden Horowitz. "I would say I'm surprised especially considering how much of a negative attitude is voiced toward fraternities and parties and how they monopolize the social life," the College junior said. "[It is] a little reassuring that the social life that fraternities provide is obviously something people enjoy." Horowitz added, however, that he "can't judge exactly how much [of the satisfaction] can be attributed to the fraternity and sorority systems," but that it is probably "a significant portion." About 73 percent of students said they are satisfied with their sex lives at the University and the same percentage indicated they are satisfied with members of the opposite sex at the University. Despite this high level of satisfaction, only 44 percent of students polled are currently in a monogamous relationship. Students also have interesting opinions on who should pay for the first date in a relationship. Approximately 46 percent said the man should pay, 25 percent said a couple should split the check and 20 percent said that whoever asked for the date should pay. Not one student suggested that a woman should pay outright. The first date may not lead to marriage so quickly though, because only a third of the students polled said they have fallen in love while at the University. Further, only about 36 percent of students said it was likely they would find their future spouse at the University. And when they do marry, students said they definitely want to have children. Almost half of the respondents said they wanted to have two children. About 29 percent wanted three children, and eight percent wanted four children. Only six percent said they did not want to have children at all. As for relationships in general, a quarter of students said they would prefer a relationship with sex and no hugging, whereas more than 60 percent would want to have hugging and no sex. This statistic may come as a surprise to some given that University students have had more sex and at an earlier age than the rest of the Ivy League. Another set of questions about sex made respondents a little more apprehensive to talk than did the others. About a quarter of the students polled said they have had sex in a public place, but only five percent said they have ever had anal sex. And while only two percent of students -- six students divided equally by gender -- said they have had sex with a professor or teaching assistant, others said they would if they could. Almost a quarter of the students said they have fantasized about a professor or TA before, and about 16 percent said they would have sex with either to improve their grade in a particular class. Finally, when asked about date rape being a problem on campus, students were very divided. One-third of the students said date rape is a major problem at the University, one-third said it is not a major problem and the last third had no opinion. Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape Executive Board Member Lynn Pinkus said last night that date rape is something to worry about on any college campus. "I don't think that because we're at an Ivy League school, rape is any less than it would be at a community college -- it's pretty even," the College senior said. "People should definitely be understanding of it -- women should understand in terms of protecting themselves [and] men should have an understanding that it's not just a women's issue." But students did agree on one thing concerning acquaintance rape -- 90 percent said that when a partner says "no," it definitely means "no." Pinkus said this statistic was "wonderful." "I think we're getting somewhere," she said. "I think people are becoming more aware."
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