Perspective: Taking a peek under the covers

A Daily Pennsylvanian survey looks at the perceptions and realities of students' sex lives across Penn's campus. Cupid's arrow struck the heart of Penn's campus this week. All along Locust Walk, student groups set up tables and booths, offering flowers and candy. The bookstore stocked up on Godiva chocolates and cuddly teddy bears. Valentine's Day arrived at Penn again yesterday. But while students were able to send love notes or bouquets to their sweethearts, another option was also available on Locust Walk -- condoms. Members of Facilitating Learning about Sexual Health were offering condomgrams -- candy and condoms -- to passing students, proving that while love is in the air, sex also plays a definite role in the campus social scene. But a survey conducted recently by The Daily Pennsylvanian proves that not everyone at Penn is having sex. Of 386 students surveyed, a little over half, 54 percent, are sexually active. Of those that are sexually active, 50 percent are currently in a monogamous relationship, and 63 percent have had more than two sexual partners. Still, despite the hormones raging across campus, of the 54 percent that are sexually active at Penn, 69 percent have never been tested for a sexually transmitted infection. Let's Talk About Sex Students acknowledge that sex definitely is part of the Penn social scene, although opinions differ as to how big a role it actually plays. In the survey, students accurately predicted the number of people who are sexually active. Half of those surveyed believed that 51 to 75 percent of students were having sex. Wharton freshman Andrew Crabbe said "Most kids come from regimented households focused on academics. They come here and they get all this freedom? and it contributes to more sexual activity." Community House Dean Rick Cameron agreed that students have a lot of new-found independence at Penn. "Freedom is a problem among certain students. Part of maturity is figuring out that new freedom, and people make mistakes during that process," he said. While many students experiment with their freedom, Engineering junior Krista Pohl noted that most ultimately want a relationship. Of the sexually active students surveyed, half are currently in a monogamous sexual relationship. "On weekends, either people have a steady person or people are going out looking for that someone," Pohl said. There are, however, also students at Penn who have made a promise to themselves not to have sex until they get married. The Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship promotes abstinence until marriage, said Executive Committee member Jowie Linn, a Wharton junior. "We believe that God created sex for deep intimacy between husband and wife, which is why we abstain until marriage." Safety First Despite major ad campaigns about sexually transmitted infections and years of watching sex-ed videos, safety is not always the top priority for sexually active young people. At Penn, just 56 percent of students use condoms during sex all the time, while 47 percent have had between two and five partners. Experts warn that this behavior is risky, even life threatening. "There is no such thing as safe sex," said Janice Asher, director of Women's Health at Student Health Services. "It doesn't mean people shouldn't be having sex, but it means people should be careful." And those who are having safe sex aren't often worried about STIs, according to experts. "At Penn, it is common to hear students voice unintended pregnancy as their greatest concern," said Kurt Conklin, advisor to Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape and Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health. "But if they knew the high rates of Human Papilloma Virus, genital herpes and Chlamydia infection in their age group nationally, they'd probably list these ahead of pregnancy," he said. Deborah Mathis, coordinator of Women's Health, said their clinic reports 20 to 25 new cases of herpes every year. And students' actions also indicate that not all young people understand that STIs can be transmitted just as easily by skin to skin or mouth to skin contact. In the survey, 86 percent of students said they never use a condom during oral sex. "The fact that oral sex can be a route for transmission of STIs is also overlooked by many students," Conklin noted. Get in the Groove While over half of Penn students report being sexually active, many doubt if Penn's wide range of sexual health services are being fully utilized. Of the sexually active students surveyed, 33 percent said they would have sex if a condom were not available. And 69 percent said they had never been tested for an STI. According to FLASH member and College and Wharton junior Michael Rogan, "Students are not taking full advantage of our services." But Pohl said enough students were aware of the available resources. "Most people know that they can get the pill at Women's Health and condoms at FLASH," she said. "There's always one in a group who knows." The Women's Health Center, located in Student Health Services, provides well woman care, Pap tests, STI screening, pregnancy testing, contraceptive counseling and prescribing, and emergency contraception, according to Asher. STI testing for male students is available through Student Health, which also offers emergency walk-in appointments. "Testing is very accessible to any Penn student or their spouse? We are not going to bill a parent's insurance for testing," Mathis said. The Health Education Office offers educational services for protection and prevention and is home to two student groups -- FLASH and STAAR. FLASH works to educate students about sexual health and sexual safety. The group, which has about 25 members, holds education workshops for freshmen and also sponsors the "Sex at Seven" program, which hosts speaker events and provides free condoms. "We go through about 15,000 condoms per year," Conklin estimated. STAAR focuses on teaching students about acquaintance rape and sexual violence. The group holds workshops on sexual abuse and also co-sponsors the annual Take Back the Night rally in April. In Search of? While about 15,000 condoms are at least being pocketed on campus every year, students have mixed reactions to Penn's sexual health services. College freshman Russ Samuelson said that during orientation, "Our RA gave us some information on drinking, but not anything involving sex." "There's more emphasis on alcohol on campus in general," agreed Engineering senior Janet Duscher. But Cameron added that students usually receive adequate sexual education information. "The problem is not the information getting to them but the information being heeded," he said. Still, about 75 percent of students say they use condoms, making them the most popular method of protection at Penn. The sex-ed standards vary from hall to hall within the College Houses. On some floors, RAs and GAs take matters into their own hands. College and Engineering senior Tara Todras-Whitehill, an RA in Goldberg College House, used part of her monthly stipend to make up goody bags for her residents during Halloween. Each student was given a bag containing candy and condoms. "Some thought it was funny, no one was upset about it," she said, adding "That was the only time that I did that, although I did tell them I had more available in my room."