Sex remains a hot topic on campus

Here at NYU, sex is no taboo.

RAs hold sex toy workshops, students are handed free condoms in their Valentine's goodie bags and the NYU Student Health Center has a resident Sexpert.

It is recognized that sexual health and education is an important part of student life. At some universities, however, this is not the case.
In March, students at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., protested the university's refusal to offer contraceptives to students by chaining themselves to a statue of the college's founder and demanding change.

The Georgetown University health center does not provide condoms or birth control on campus in compliance with the religious ideals of the university.

Todd Olson, vice president for student affairs at Georgetown, said the university is attempting to make peace with the disgruntled students over the matter.

"We are listening to the students and talking to them at length to hear their interests, but we're also making clear that because we are a Catholic university, we will continue to have programs and policies consonant with that mission," Olson said. "It's a thoughtful balancing act between hearing students' interests and staying true to our mission and identity."

While it is important to respect the religious ramifications of the health practices at schools like Georgetown, the Student Health Center at NYU believes that good health is crucial to success.

"We believe that the health of students is essential to their academic success," said Courtney Stein, manager of health promotions at NYU. "Health habits and lifestyle practices learned and adopted in college most likely will endure for a lifetime and impact quality of life and longevity. For this reason, we work to provide students with the information and resources they need to succeed both within and outside of the classroom."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 million new Sexually Transmitted Infections are diagnosed in the United States each year, and almost half of the people contracting the STIs are under the age of 25. When left untreated, STIs can lead to infertility, cancer and an increased risk of developing HIV.

Stein said information about contraceptives like male condoms, female condoms and dental dams are readily available at the health center. Hormonal contraceptives like the pill and the shot are available by prescription only, and incur a fee depending on a student's insurance.

"Abstinence remains the only foolproof way not to put oneself at risk for STIs and pregnancy," he said.

Kelly Sielert, a student co-coordinator of the Peer Health Exchange, said sexual education starts before college. The Peer Health Exchange goes to high school classrooms and educates the students on ways to better their lives, including through safer sex practices.

"We're focusing on giving students the knowledge and skills to make healthy decisions, but to also make their own decisions," Sielert said. "We say, 'Here's what can happen if you have sex, here's how you can protect yourself,' but they need to have that information to be able to make the right decisions."