Study finds high STD risk for college women

In a recent study conducted by the American Social Health Association, 85 percent of the college women surveyed indicated that they were sexually active. Alarmingly, almost half of those women admitted that they do not protect themselves against Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The survey revealed that about half of the respondents had from one to three sexual partners. The other half reported having four or more, with seven percent claiming more than 21 partners. Out of the women who reported being sexually active, 96 percent had participated in oral sex, and more than three-fourths of those never use condoms. Two-thirds do not use condoms for vaginal sex, the second most frequent form of sexual activity. The study was based on the responses of 1,000 students at two mid-Atlantic universities. The results of ASHA's report also suggest that nearly one-fourth of the women had been forced to have sex at one time or another. Sharon Broom, senior Public Relations Officer for ASHA, explained that the study highlights the urgency of the sexual health crisis. She maintained that STDs have reached epidemic rates with more than 12 million new cases each year. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases are more common than allergies," Broom said. According to ASHA's publication, two-thirds of the new infections are found in people under 25, and one-fourth occur in teenagers. "Young people are more susceptible to STDs because their immune systems are not mature and they are less likely to be involved in long-term relationships," Broom explained. "They are also more concerned with protection against pregnancy." In an effort to promote greater awareness, ASHA has appointed April as "National Sexually Transmitted Disease Month." This is the fourth year that ASHA has promoted the awareness month. Kurt Conklin, a Student Health Services health educator at the University, said nothing had been planned on campus in conjunction with ASHA's promotion. He explained, however, that that the University's Office of Health Education was committed to STD prevention throughout the year. "It's an ongoing job," he said. Conklin, referring to STDs as the "invisible enemy," added that the real concern is that people often separate STD prevention and birth control. "It's sort of shocking, the low level of awareness that college students have," he said. Conklin added that the national government is spending less money than ever on fighting STDs. "In real dollars, the most money the national government spent was in 1947 to fight the Syphilis epidemic," Conklin added. "Now there are over 50 separate diseases."