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SAFE SEX AT GRINNELL

THE MUSIC BLARES WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE'S "SEXYBACK." THE LIGHTS DARTING BACK AND FORTH, THE CUP IN HAND ALMOST EMPTY. EVERYONE'S MOVING TO THE BEAT, A QUICK GLANCE AT A SILHOUETTE, AND TWO PAIRS OF FEET STUMBLING HOME ON A SATURDAY NIGHT É MAYBE MORNING, IT DOESN'T MATTER. HEART PUMPING, FACE FLUSHED, ALL SENSE OF REASON GONE. WHOA! THE SILHOUETTE IS THE KID IN BIO CLASS, MAYBE LIT. HE'S SAFE, I KNOW HIM. HALF AN HOUR LATER, TOP OFF, PANTS UNZIPPED, THE QUESTION LINGERS IN THE AIR, "DO YOU HAVE A CONDOM?"

BY AMY LEVIN, DAVID LOGAN AND TIFFANY AU

After a week of academic overload, one thing to look forward to is a stress-free, relaxing, party-hardy weekend. Add a few drinks, loud music, maybe a round of beer pong and it's anyone's guess what the night will bring. Whether it be a friendly fling, a serious monogamous relationship, or a rendezvous with a complete stranger, sex happens.

With Grinnell famed for its liberal, anything-goes attitude and isolated rural location, the meaning and attitudes of safe sex are arguably unique in comparison to other schools.

College students have long been perceived as a particularly promiscuous demographic. The archetypal undergrad pervades all forms of popular culture: a drunken hooligan, soliciting multiple sexual partners with apparently little concern for STDs or pregnancy.

According to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, Americans between the ages 18-24 are at the highest risk of any age group to contract an STD. Over 60 million Americans are currently infected with an STD and two-thirds of all new STD cases occur among individuals younger than 25.

The greater risks for young people stem from a lack of awareness and education about safe sex practices. And Grinnellians are no different. According to the college's 2004-2005 Health Survey, a comprehensive survey conducted among the student body about health on campus, 69.3 percent of Grinnell students said they have "little" or "very little" knowledge of STDs.

Grinnell's Sexual Culture

There are a number of features particular to Grinnell that work to create a distinct sexual culture. Grinnell students are generally considered, to be more socially liberal than their counterparts at other schools, and some believe that this stance fosters an atmosphere that advocates multiple partners and unsafe sex.

Others disagree, arguing that this atmosphere advocates safety by virtue of its more accepting quality. "I think maybe we do have more sex here, but we're louder about it," said Erin Daugherty '09. "I think talking about it is what we need É because when we keep it behind closed doors, misinformation never takes us anywhere good."

Students interviewed said the small size of the student body and the apparent campus intimacy that follows encouraged safe sexual practices. "You go to a state school and you hook-up with somebody É you may never see them again," said Nick Sparr '09. "[Grinnell's size] sort of reduces that feeling of anonymity so you pretty much know you're going to see that person the next day. You're more aware of the consequences and you're reminded of that daily."

But not all of Grinnell's conditions are conducive to safe sex. Students generally agreed that dating was all but absent from Grinnell's social scene, with relationships at either of two ends of the spectrum: the random hookup or the committed relationship.

Faced with the choice of celibacy or random sexual encounters, most students choose the latter. If this propensity translates to having multiple sexual partners, risk of adverse consequences increases.

Students also said weekly Harris parties contributed to the campus' sexual culture. "It seems like a lot of people go to Harris with the sole intention of finding some to hookup with," said Sparr. Others contend that Harris interactions are a fact of college life, and would occur elsewhere if not at Harris.

Safe Sex Habits

Regardless of feelings about Grinnell's sexual culture, most students seem to practice safe sex habits. Most students said they practice safe sex and that they perceived their friends to do the same. Students interviewed did not know of many individuals who had contracted an STD or become pregnant. While some thought that these incidents would stay secret, others argued that Grinnell's small size would facilitate the spread of such information.

"You hear about the same people hooking up with different people," said Marie Braukmann '09. "It's like college-cest. It's so small that everyone gets to know everyone."

Most students said they used protection - most often a condom - for fear of pregnancy, rather than STDs. According to Shyuan Yang '08, "The worst STD you can get [at Grinnell] is a kid."

In The Health Survey approximately 60 percent of respondents reported using a condom the last time they had either vaginal or anal intercourse.

The percentage, at first glance, appears disconcertingly low. But in The Health Survey nearly 45 percent of all students identified themselves as being in monogamous relationships. These students may be using alternative methods of birth control, like the pill or patch.

While the likelihood of pregnancy or STD contraction is not reduced by virtue of emotional attachment, partners in a monogamous relationship are more aware of each other's sexual history and thus more comfortable with their relative risk.

Students' views on safe sex during vaginal or anal intercourse did not, however, extend to equally safe habits during oral sex. Those interviewed unanimously agreed that truly practicing safe sex would mean using some form of protection-condom, dental dam, or other device -while giving or receiving oral sex, but they said that using protection during oral sex was rare at Grinnell. This is likely due to the fact that oral sex carries no risk of pregnancy and the mistaken belief that STDs cannot be transmitted through oral sex.

"I should use condoms when giving oral sex, but the risk factors in my head are so low," said Daugherty. "And the taste of latex sucks." While it is true that the risks associated with oral sex are lower, the practice is by no means completely safe. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has placed the number of new HIV cases attributable to oral sex at as high as 1 in 10.

One aspect of safe sex frequently overlooked by students and researchers alike is how safe sex operates in gay and lesbian relationships for which pregnancy is not a fear. According to the CDC, incidence of AIDS is 17 times higher among gay men than the general public.

This fact, according to some students, means gay and bisexual men on campus have to be more conscious of safe sex. "If you're gay and you're going to have anal sex you want to use a condom because you don't want to die of AIDS É." said Saul St. John '07. "If you're a woman and you're having sex with a guy and the condom breaks I imagine there's more you can do. If I'm having sex with another guy and the condom breaks É that's it."

Among lesbian and bisexual women, there are fewer concerns about STDs because most are in long-term relatioships, according to Kirby Ramstad '08. "But the way the campus is structured, if you're in a queer relationship, you have to rely on your own experience," rather than having easy access to information about safe sex, she said.

Another important factor contributing to unsafe sex is alcohol consumption. While students interviewed believed the campus generally practiced safe sex, they thought that alcohol could lead to students not using condoms and having multiple partners.

But according to The Health Survey, only 5 percent of Grinnellians attributed some of their sexual encounters to the use of alcohol.

Students who do not use protection seem to learn from their mistakes. According to figures provided by the Health Center and The Health Survey, very few students use Plan B on more than one occasion (Plan B, also known as the morning after pill, allows women to prevent unwanted pregnancy after intercourse).

While condoms are the most widely used method of safe sex on campus, Plan B is employed as well. "We give it out about 100 times a year," Health Center nurse Karen Cochran said. "It's very effective."

Cochran said she tries to emphasize safety during visits with students seeking Plan B. "If we do [see a student more than once], then we get a little more direct about how they deal with keeping themselves safe," she said. "Very seldom do we have more than two incidents per person."

Resources on Campus

Students are not the only ones talking about sex: the administration had adopted a decidedly progressive outlook and prioritizes providing resources to aid in safe sex practices. Cochran said responds to the realities of sexual activity on campus. "I have to have a pretty open view on it. Some people would say safe sex is no sex," said Cochran. "But I'm very realistic about what safe sex needs to be in my setting and among the college community."

The College provides condom dispensers in several dorms, sexual health study breaks, HIV testing and Plan B. Students interviewed said that, overall, Grinnell adequately promotes safe sex through resources and education. Sparr noted the availability of condoms on campus: "Every time I see an SA they're like, 'Hey, I have condoms. Come by my room or go by the health office, they have condoms there.'"

St. John agreed that the health center provided adequate resources and noted that the procedure for HIV testing was especially convenient. "[The Health Center does] the 20 minute quick test. You walk in, get the test, sit there and watch TV for 20 minutes and then they come in and they say 'Hey you've got AIDs,' or 'Hey, you don't have AIDs,' said St. John.

Cochran said Health Center-sponsored study breaks are the most efficient method of promoting safe sex. "My main goal is to give study breaks and have as many people as possible attend." The light-hearted events occur approximately eight times per year and usually include information about condom usage, STD transmission, Plan B and HIV testing.

"We've done condom sculptures and condom races in the past, and students seem to have a good time during it," Cochran said. "This is information but also adds a little bit of a relaxed atmosphere so I think people out of this setting will ask more questions and maybe feel free to come over here and get the free condoms and know that we're user-friendly."

Seff, however, was skeptical of the efficacy of the study breaks, noting students' apathy. "They are pretty well publicized, but I don't think people care enough," she said. "They don't go to the study breaks because they don't think they'll help, which is lame."

More often, students go directly to the Health Center. Cochran said that students are assertive about their needs. "Our kids here are pretty outspoken about what they want and what they're concerns are," she said. "They'll come in and say, 'I need to see a mental health therapist,' or, 'I need Plan B today,' or, 'Do you guys do pregnancy tests here?''

Cochran added that students have no reason to feel intimidated. "I think that students for the most part feel comfortable coming here," she said. "Jean [King] and I are not very scary."

St. John agreed. "I am perfectly comfortable walking into the Health Center and saying just about anything," he said. "I think that most people have had it beat into their heads that the Health Center is kind of there so that you can go in and try to shock the little old ladies with your sex life" (though that rarely works).

While most students felt positively towards the schools' efforts to provide resources, some students have expressed concern that the Health Center is closed on the weekends, when Plan B may be needed. Cochran said that technically this should not be an issue. "The morning after pill has as 72-hour grace period, so the only time we run into great problems is when we have a three day weekend," she said.

Ramstad, who co-leads the group Students for Choice and Sexual Education, disagreed. "You should take it within 24 hours [for maximum effectiveness], but within 8 hours is the optimum time frame," she said. The group is campaigning to keep the Health Center open on weekends but is encountering logistical obstacles.

Seff admitted that while Grinnellians were typically safe, the environment had limited resources if protection failed. "I think it would be so hard if you got pregnant," Seff said. "You don't have the right resources here. It might be easier to be in a bigger city in a more liberal state."

While resources may be available and students are aware of safe sex practices, students do not always follow through on their intentions.

"There is a discrepancy," said Seff. "If you ask anyone they'd probably say they have safe sex. But when it comes down to it in the heat of the moment and there is no condom they'd probably say screw it. Or screw me."

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