Current estimates show that HIV/AIDS is prevalent among college-aged students as well, with 25% of new infections occurring in people 21 years or younger. And for those aged 15 to 24, AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Cole, 1997). These statistics show a grave threat to college-aged students who engage in risky sexual behavior. For college students who believe HIV/AIDS or other STDs could never reach them through their sexual activity, the odds are significant and not in their favor. STDs can be avoided through protecting ones self during sexual encounters: using condoms, mutual testing for disease between partners, limiting sexual partners or abstaining altogether. The consequences and prevalence of STD’s among college-aged students is clear. Protect yourself!
Risky sexual behavior, such as having unprotected sex or multiple sexual partners, puts individuals at great risk for contracting a wide range of STDs. Most notably, these include chlamydia, genital warts, genital herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis. Common effects of these diseases include unsightly or painful rashes, bumps or sores, leading to more serious consequences such as infections, infertility, spontaneous abortion, cancers, newborn illness, among others (for a complete description of these and other common STDs see the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdinfo.htm). Research by the NIAID has shown that these diseases are most prevalent among teens and young adults, with two-thirds of the reported cases occurring in people 25 years and younger.

Engaging in unhealthy sexual behavior has serious potential consequences:

Research has shown that 75% or more of college students are sexually active. Of just first-year college students alone, research has found that as many as 86% of students are sexually active, and about a third had experienced two or more new sexual partners since arriving at college (Poulson et al., 1998, p. 228). These staggering percentages reflect a substantially higher level of sexual activity among college-aged students than those still in high school, whose percentage of sexual activity lingers closer to 50% for both boys and girls (Behind Closed Doors [no author given], 2000, p. 10). Considering the shear numbers of sexually active college-aged students and research that shows trends of risky sexual behavior for this age group- including inconsistent condom use, multiple sexual partners, using hormonal birth control with no other form of protection from STDs, and a general misunderstanding of what constitues “safe sex”- it is crucial that the consequences of risky sexual behavior be understood (Poulson et al. 1998, von Sadovsky et al. 2002).

Engaging in unhealthy sexual behavior poses a serious risk to an individual’s long-term health and well-being. Most commonly, consequences include contraction of various sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancy. Each of these is discussed in part below:


Contraction of STDs:



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pregnancy:

A significant proportion pregnancies occurring in teens and young adults are unplanned (two-thirds in just teens). Recent statistics show that among teenagers alone, 4 in 10 pregnancies will end in abortion, accounting for a total of about 275,000 abortions per year (Teen Sex and Pregnancy website, 1999). For those who decide to abort a pregnancy, there are serious implications to face, including health and medical complications as well as psychological effects and emotional distress. For youths who decide to carry through with a pregnancy, there are also important considerations to keep in mind: potential miscarriage (at a rate of 14% in teens), the need for social and economic support, lifestyle change to accommodate a new infant and all the responsibilities inherent in being a good parent. Naturally, considering the high number of unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, teens and young adults are taking precautionary measures against pregnancy while engaging in sexual behavior. Often times, research shows pregnancy as a much greater consideration during sexual activity than the contraction of STDs, leading to unreliable methods of contraception or reliable methods with no protection from STDs like withdrawal, the rhythm method or birth control pills (Poulson et al., 1998, p. 232). Nevertheless, while teens and young adults do consider preventative measures for pregnancy, their efforts are often not enough. Unwanted pregnancies still occur in high percentages as a result, making it clear that the circumstances of prevention and consequence must be better established in this age group.

 

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