Sex. You know, that three-letter word your parents spelled out whenever you were in the room because they didn't want you to know what they were talking about.
You probably had "Sex Ed" in gym class, or "Family Life," as they called it where I'm from. But, at that point, were you too busy thinking about sex (that cute boy on the baseball team, the girl whose skirt wasn't quite fingertip length...) to really learn anything about it? Or, maybe you were listening, but all they were saying was, "don't do it."
Now you're in college, and without your parents around to spell it out for you, or the disturbing slide shows to scare you away -- does the word "cauliflower" still give anyone nightmares? -- sex has become a much more practical part of your vocabulary. The question is, beyond abstinence, what do you really need to know about sex and staying healthy?
The News-Letter checked with a variety of Hopkins students to see how "in-the-know" we are as a school. Below are their responses and misconceptions and some real answers about sexual health. See how you would have done on our little quiz.
Q: What is sex anyway?
You've got a little itch, who knows where, maybe down there, so you go to the Health and Wellness Center to check it out. One of the first questions the doctor asks you is, "Are you sexually active?" This seems like a simple enough question, but in reality it's not as black and white as it appears. Depending on whom you ask, "sex" can have any number of definitions:
"Sexually active is engaging in sexual activities fairly frequently," says one male junior.
"At least once a month," clarifies a friend who is standing next to him.
A sophomore girl gets a little more specific. "Sexually active would be someone who participates in sex acts -- namely physical intimacy with a partner -- traditionally intercourse, but I guess oral sex counts too."
On the steps outside McCoy, I talk to one sophomore boy, who becomes distracted by a girl walking by us in tight jeans. He watches her go into the building, then turns back to me. "It's all about the humpin'."
Over IM, one freshman engineer offers me an equation: "Penis + Vagina = Sex."
Other responses included: "I would consider someone sexually active if they're doing anything beyond kissing. Sex includes anything oral;" "A perfect end to a Saturday night;" "A good time;" "Sex is two people giving in to and fulfilling each other ... sometimes, other times it's just straight up [expletive deleted]."
As you can see, the student body is not intimately in agreement when it comes to questions on sex. Let's look to the dictionary, shall we?
"Sex (pronounced seks), a noun derived from Latin, meaning
1: either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and are distinguished respectively as male and female depending on their reproductive organs. (Well, after determining that I'm female, I read on.)
2: see SEXUAL INTERCOURSE."
"Sexual Intercourse
1: heterosexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by the penis.
2: intercourse that does not involve the penetration of the vagina by the penis."
Once again, Webster leaves us less than fully satisfied.
Itching for a more specific answer, I stop by the Health and Wellness Center to see if they can clarify things for me. There's a wall filled with brochures on a whole range of topics. I grab a few of these for the road. A brochure labeled "Is it sex? Is it safe?" touches on some of the finer ambiguities I've mentioned: "Some people don't think oral sex is sex, strictly speaking. The same goes for anal sex. What about mutual masturbation? Kissing or touching all over? Some forms of sex don't even involve being with the other person: phone sex or Internet sex, for example."
In the end, I am unable to get a definitive and universally endorsed answer. But one consistent message is that, when defining sex and making sexual health decisions for yourself, it is important to be aware of the potential risks involved, namely the risks of STDs and pregnancy. While pregnancy is really only an issue with the conventional penis in vagina form of sex, STDs can be passed through activities as innocent as kissing. If you really want to play it safe, the Health and Wellness Web site assures me that "caressing, hugging, dry kissing, and masturbation are no risk or extremely low-risk practices." Otherwise, wear a condom (they're free at Health and Wellness) and be aware of your partner's history.
Q: What is HPV?
This next question produces an onslaught of confusion including "What's what?;" "Huh?;" "Humabuh something papa something virus;" "Wait, how do you spell that?;" "HPV? I only know HIV;" "HIV gone wrong?;" "Hippopotamus Pimple Virulation."
"Something I probably don't want" and "It's an STD, right?"
The sophomore that likes to hump thinks he knows. "Hyper Penis Vagina," he said.
Finally, a sophomore girl shows that she's well-informed. "Isn't it like human papillomavirus? Something like that -- I think I read somewhere that most people who are sexually active get it at some point."
Well, according to one of my brochures entitled "HPV ... What's that?" HPV, which stands for "human papillomavirus," is "a family of over 100 viruses, about one-third of which cause genital problems that affect both males and females, [including] genital warts and cell changes, especially in the cervix of women, that can be pre-cancerous."
Contrary to popular belief, HPV infects more people every year than any other STD. There are 5.5. million new cases every year and 75 percent of sexually active people will be infected with HPV in their lifetime. You can carry the HPV virus without displaying any noticeable symptoms, but lesions must be present in order to pass it on.
If you find out you have HPV, or any STD for that matter, it is important to get treated to the best of your ability. You may feel embarrassed, or view your STD as a reflection of your own recklessness or immorality. But the Health and Wellness brochure discourages this outlook, reminding us to "look at STDs for what they are -- diseases, not moral statements." HPV, like most STDs, is treatable if handled responsibly. Talk to a doctor immediately to find out what your options are. If you have any questions, you can contact the STD Hotline at 1-800-227-8922.
Q: What's the best way for sexually active people to Avoid unplanned pregnancy?
The girls said: "A combination of birth control pills always use a condom;" "Condom I believe is the most effective, but birth control for the girl is also key;" and "Sterilization."
The guys said: "Wear a condom or go on the pill;" "If you have sex when the girl's on her period, she won't get pregnant. But that's kind of gross;" "To protect against pregnancy, always remember to pull out before blowing your load;" "If she doesn't have an orgasm ... but that doesn't happen with me;" "Girls having sex with other girls. No pregnancy there."
A brochure called "Incredible Birth Control Facts" reveals that, in a lifetime, men are fertile an average total of 18,250 days, whereas women spend a mere 840 days in reproductive danger (or opportunity, depending on how you look at it). That means only 12-24 days a year. Women are fertile during ovulation and before ovulation, which usually occurs mid-menstrual cycle, or about two weeks before bleeding begins.
Does this mean sex during your period is pregnancy-proof? No. Besides the fact that cycles vary from woman to woman, an individual's cycle can be thrown off by such factors as sickness, travel, alcohol and stress. Put simply, having sex during your period is not an effective way of protecting yourself.
Basically, the girls have the right idea. Birth control pills (or the patch) are about 99 percent effective if used carefully, and condoms are 98 percent effective. In addition, the professionals will all remind you that the risks increase dramatically if you've been drinking or using drugs, which impair your judgement. If you think there might be a chance that you could get pregnant, emergency contraception is an option for up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. This is different from abortion, which refers to terminating pregnancy after the egg has already been fertilized.
So basically, Hopkins students either have a good sense of humor about sexual issues or they really know nothing about sexual health. Hopefully, you got some of these answers right and if not, now you know the scoop.
