In this age of fast food, disposable fashion and binge drinking it would seem that sex is blindly becoming part of this throwaway culture, especially amongst University students.
Sex and University have become intrinsically linked, students are for the first time independent and therefore, do not have to worry about bringing someone home to the parents, alcohol becomes one of the biggest parts of any student’s lifestyle and finally everyone you meet at University is a new face.
I spoke to 3 students under 21 about their experiences with sex at University with some interesting results.
There is a presumption about University that sex will be handed to them on a silver plate; I asked students what their views on this were. The 20 year old female student said, “I definitely had a preconceived idea that it would be easy to have casual sex all the time at Uni. I think it’s definitely a widely spread idea as I know lots of people who thought that way before they started Uni.”
The second confessed to always wanting a one-night stand during Fresher’s week as “it is something to laugh at.”
And number 3 (21) admitted that sex was always going to be a big part of University, “Especially in the first year, you get to let your hair down, live by yourself, and do what you want! Sex is bound to be a part of that.”
Interviewing student 2 I found she had slept with 7 people whilst at University and interestingly had names for each of them for example: ‘red cardi guy’, ‘offender James’, ‘hairy Nick’ and ‘Martin that I spend Sundays with.’ This blasé attitude to the people she had slept with emphasises the disposability of sex and makes you wonder how many other people feel this way?
While researching the article a discussion on the website www.thestudentroom.co.uk caught my eye. A student had posted a question “What are the ways you guys ask random girls for sex?” A mixture of responses followed, from people telling him to get a girlfriend and stop thinking this is America to people agreeing that women want sex as much as men.
As appalling as the question asked was there is some truth to the debate. According to a recent study two-thirds of University students have had a ‘friend with benefits,’ of which at least half have had all forms of sex. These figures are very revealing as to how University students treat sex. This approach to sex is not only worrying for the students’ emotions, but it can have a devastating effect by spreading sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s).
As regards to protection, I asked students if they rely on their partners or themselves to have protection. All of them replied saying that they carry protection, student 1 even stated, “One of the most valuable things I have learnt over University is to always carry 2 condoms, just in case one splits.” This grown up attitude could not come at a better time as STI’s are constantly on the rise.
It is insane to think that 10 years ago 91% of adults were not aware that condoms help protect against HIV and AIDS (Durex Report 1999). Today, with more advertising than ever, it is imperative that young people and students are aware of the problems with unprotected sex. Just last year it was published that Chlamydia rates have increased 90% in the last five years and Herpes has increased by 42%.
It is not only STI’s that pose a threat, without using a condom, students can also run the risk of falling pregnant. The Government revealed in May this year that a staggering 195, 296 abortions were carried out in 2008 and 97,764 for those aged 15 to 24.
It can be very easy not to use a condom in the ‘heat of the moment’ especially, or whilst drunk. All 3 students I spoke to regretted at least one of their experiences No. 3 admitted to not remembering one sexual encounter, “I was so drunk that I don’t even know if we had proper sex.” No. 2 found herself in a similar situation, “I regretted red cardi guy, a drunken decision in fresher’s week.”
Although sex at university does seem go hand- in-hand, there are a lot of factors to take into account before considering a lifestyle of disposable sex.
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