Playing it safe with sex and relationships

The Hopkins Health & Wellness Center distributed 24,000 condoms during the 2002-3 academic year, according to their annual report. More than 1,000 visits involved questions and/or concerns regarding contraceptives.

Sex is a reality for all college students, and Hopkins students are no exceptions. According to Linda Rhoades, nurse manager and administrator for the Health & Wellness Center, the number of students seeking information about sex increases every year. Only a small percentage of the undergraduate and graduate students visit the office for sex-related issues, but for those who do, the most important aspect for both patient and physician is safety.

Most students who come to the Health & Wellness Center have a very clear idea of who they want to be intimate with, and under what circumstances.

"There's a lot of serial monogamous relationships," Rhoades said. "And that could be for a week -- but that's still monogamous."

Dr. Sara Maggitti, a staff psychologist at the Counseling and Student Development Center, has a similar opinion based on her experience with students at Hopkins.

"It's a better place to be at Hopkins when you're a couple," she said. "This is a prime time in people's lives to start having more serious relationships."

Whether or not these relationships involve sex is individualized for each couple, but both Rhoades and Maggitti agree the age of sexual experience is getting lower. Students who begin exploring in high school come to college with one or multiple previous partners, and according to Maggitti, some students who haven't experienced sex feel pressured to do so in college. "I'm in college. That's what people do," is the mentality some of her patients have expressed. Students at Hopkins are aware that potential partners could have a sexual history, and those who come to the Health & Wellness Center, among others who choose not to seek campus help, make sure to take the necessary precautions.

The Health & Wellness Center usually receives more females than males, but men often come in to get screened for sexually transmitted diseases before getting intimate.

"To me, that's being very responsible about your health," Rhoades said.

Women set up appointments to discuss what birth control options are available through the Center, and how soon they can start use. The Center previously required a sexual history and physical (gynecological exam) before administering the pill or other forms of birth control. Due to complaints by students, and the realization that many felt uncomfortable and hesitant to take the pelvic exam, the Center will give out the pill after taking down a sexual history, and allows up to nine months to get the physical.

"We try not to put any barriers in the way," Rhoades said. "We know our student is our customer, and we want to satisfy our customer."

The Center also wants to make sure your sex life is confidential. Free condoms are available in the foyer between the entrance and the office so students don't have to come in to get them, and women who get birth control through the center now can request refills for their prescriptions online. All it takes is a two-minute stop in the office to pick them up. If you get insurance through Hopkins or a personal insurance company, the pill is available for about $10 a month.

While most students who take the step to come to Health & Wellness are secure in their relationships and/or their decisions, any student who expresses concern or feels pressured is referred to the Counseling Center. According to Maggitti, many of the students who come to the Counseling Center talk about relationship problems, even if it's not the reason for the first visit.

More often than talking about sex, students express difficulty with sustaining a relationship while juggling their academic and social lives. Of the 886 students who completed the first-visit problem checklist last year, 15 percent checked the Relationship with Romantic Partner box, and 5.3 percent marked Sexual Matters.

Rhoades and Maggitti are quick to remind that they see only a small percentage of the overall undergraduate and graduate student population, and can only base their opinions on their experiences within each center. But both agree relationships are an important part of life at Hopkins, even if they're not first priority.

"[Academic rigor] shapes how relationships function here," Maggitti said. School comes first for most students, she said, while relationships are often a secondary experience.

While Rhoades can't make a statistically accurate statement as to what percent of the students at Hopkins are having sex, she surmises it must be more than half. Of the students that do visit Health & Wellness, Rhoades is confident they're taking the necessary precautions toward safe sex, and both centers serve as sounding boards for problems that can be present in relationships.

"The important thing is to really listen," Rhoades said. "To be as non-judgmental as possible."

For more information on the services offered at the Student Health & Wellness Center or Counseling and Student Development Center, visit their respective Web sites at http://www.jhu.edu/~shcenter and http://www.jhu.edu/~ccenter.