Safe sex steams up Valentine's Night

As Valentine's Day quickly approaches, acts of love are beginning to thicken the campus air.During this holiday known for its amorous displays of affection, it is more important than ever for students to be aware of healthy sexual options available to them.James Bryant of Meridian Services, Inc. said that one of the first things he tries to do as the infectious disease outreach director is get people to educate themselves.

Along with passing out informational literature, Bryant is also available for HIV/AIDS testing on campus once a month.The service is free and anonymous. Youngstown State University students over the age of 18 can call Student Health Services and schedule an appointment. Instead of names, phone numbers will identify students.Bryant will be on campus Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bryant suggests using spermicide with latex condoms as the best protection during sexual activity.He said this is the "least likely [way] to catch sexually transmitted diseases."

Ryan Lopez, a member of Alpha Phi Delta, said that "sex happens quite often" for members of his fraternity.

"I think protection is the way to go, but lots of my friends admit to not using [condoms]," he said.

According to the Planned Parenthood Web site, two out of 100 women each year will get pregnant when always using condoms correctly, as opposed to 15 out of 100 who will get pregnant when they aren't always used correctly.

Talking about what measures she and her boyfriend take to prevent pregnancy and STDs, senior Christie Sindledecker said, "I think birth control pills are effective and we've both been tested."

Sindledecker said she has been in a committed, monogamous relationship with her boyfriend for almost two years and has taken birth control pills since 2005.

The Planned Parenthood Web site states that birth control methods such as the pill, patch, shot and vaginal ring, while more effective than condoms and other forms, are not 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancies. They do not protect against STDs at all.

Additionally, the Planned Parenthood Web site states that the most effective birth control methods to use, short of surgery or abstaining from sex all together, are the intrauterine device and a small rod that is inserted in the arm.These methods don't prevent STDs either.

The best and most effective way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and transmission of STDs is complete abstinence from sex.

One of the many people who have chosen abstinence is YSU senior Pam Falkenberg.She is the president of the Pre-Law Society and the Catholic Student Association.

She said waiting until marriage to have sex for the first time is the right choice for her because it can make dating a lot less stressful, create more trust and less emotional baggage and foster more respect for her person and morals.

"I feel that everyone should sit down and reflect upon their wants, their needs, their current situation and their future," Falkenberg said of people who are deciding whether or not to be sexually active. "This is your decision to make and no one else's."

"If I feel as though a boyfriend is not going to respect my decision of abstinence, quite honestly, I kick him to the curb," she said with a giggle.

She is frank and honest within her relationships and advises others to do similarly.

"I have no personal issues with my decision to be abstinent because I endeavor to be wholly honest about my choice," Falkenberg said.

Like Bryant, Falkenberg also recommends educating "yourself on the merits of abstinence and also of safe sex.