Smart sex
by Yvonne DeGraw
At Texas A&M, 73.6 percent of the male students
say they have been sexually active, and 56.9 percent of the
female students say they have willingly had intercourse,
according to two studies done by the psychology
department last year.
Yet many students remain largely misinformed or
uninformed about birth control and prevention of sexually
transmitted diseases.
The media teaches us a lot about sex. Most of it is wrong. It tells
us the right breath mint or shampoo will hook the most attractive
man or woman. If you believe that, I have a ski chalet in Rorida to
sell to you.
Often, the media says sex has no consequences. If you believe
that, I have a nice condo in peaceful, downtown Beirut for you.
Rarely does the media teach how to be skillful at sex.
Skill at sex has several meanings. This article isn’t about the
one you were just thinking of.
Instead, this is about responsibility — knowing enough about
sex and caring enough about your partner to avoid surprises like
unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
In this context, “skillful sex” means being able to talk to your
partner about birth control knowledgeably and tactfully.
Responsibility doesn’t just mean taking the pill. It’s also
important to know what common drugs can make it ineffective.
Responsibility isn’t just carrying a condom around; it’s knowing
that the heat from storing it in a wallet can weaken the material.
While debate rages over whether sex education should be
taught to school children, almost everyone agrees that college
students should have ready access to information about sex.
Locally, two common sources of birth control information for
Texas A&M students are the A.P. Beutel Health Center and
Planned Parenthood.
At the health center on the College Station campus, the birth
control information provided is limited.
If a woman asks for such information at the center, the nurses
say they give her a brochure titled “A Guide to The Methods of
Contraception” published by Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation, a
maker of the pill.
The brochure tells about six types of contraception — oral
contraceptives (the pill), intrauterine devices, diaphragms, vaginal
spermicides, condoms and the rhythm method. It tells how each
method works and the effectiveness of each type, but instead of
mentioning possible side effects, it refers patients to their doctors.
Rosa Scandarnai, a registered nurse at the health center, says
the nurses and doctors give further information to women who ask
for it.
“Girls have more alternatives than they think they do,” she
says. “If they just call up, we’ll be happy to give them information. ”
Dr. Claude Goswick, health center director, says the center
provides pap smears to check for diseases and prescriptions for
birth control pills. The doctors will also write prescriptions for lUDs
and diaphrams, but these prescriptions can’t be filled in the health
center’s pharmacy.
The lab fee for pap smears is $13 at the health center. Prices
for birth control pills may vary by brand, but one popular type costs
$5 for the first month and $3 for each subsequent month.
Goswick says the pill is the most commonly requested form of
birth control.
“Usually by the time they (students) get here, they’ve gotten
some information, ” he says. “They know what they want by then. ”
Goswick says his opinion that female students should have
their contraceptive needs met by a family physician is well-known.
At one point, Goswick had the health center stop giving
gynecological exams because he felt the health center fee each
student pays shouldn’t cover routine physical examinations.
Because of protests, the center reinstituted cervical exams, which
are now available until 2:30 p.m. each weekday.
Goswick says he is glad to see a swing toward the use of
condoms. He says condoms are the only form of birth control that
also protect against a range of sexually transmitted diseases. He
says he expects the rates of sexually transmitted diseases to drop
because the fear of AIDS is making people more cautious.
Condoms have been shown to help protect against the spread
of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In addition, laboratory
tests have shown that a chemical found in some spermicides kills
the AIDS virus.
Although Goswick encourages the use of condoms, the health
center doesn’t provide them.
“It’s not the kind of thing we should get into under the present
circumstances,” he says.
The interior of the Brazos County Planned Parenthood
clinic suggests a commitment to informing those who enter the
waiting room.
One wall is a literature rack filled with brochures on a variety of
topics. A series of flyers called “It Takes Facts” explains how to use
five types of contraceptives. “Problem Pregnancy Alternatives”
talks about the choices a pregnant woman can make. Contrary to
the opinion of some, Planned Parenthood does suggest marriage,
single parenthood and adoption as well as abortion as alternatives.
Other brochures cover “Cancer Facts for Men, ” “Sexually
Transmitted Diseases” and “Will my Drinking Hurt my Baby?”
Sally Miller, who has been director of the clinic at 303 College
Main for 10 years, says every woman who wants a form of birth
control is given a large brochure called “Facts About Methods of
Contraception. ” It explains how seven types of birth control work,
their main advantages, possible problems, effectiveness, who can
use them and warning signals in a handy table format.
Miller says almost 89 percent of the people who get
contraceptives at her clinic choose the pill. The reason for this, she
says, is its effectiveness and convenience.
Oral contraceptives are theoretically 99.6 percent effective, she
says. The actual rate is lowered because some women forget to
take the pills regularly.
Also, many women who use the pill don’t know about the long
list of medications that can, in some cases, make the pill ineffective.
The list of medications that possibly interfere with the pill
includes antibiotics like penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline and
rifampicin; all antacids; all anticoagulants; insulin; tuberculosis
medications; anti-convulsives like barbituates; cholesterol lowering
agents; sedatives and hypnotics; some anti-migraine preparations
and some anti-hypertensive agents.
Women who want to know if a drug they are taking could
interfere with the pill should consult a physician, she says.
While many possible side effects are mentioned in relation to
use of the pill, smokers face the greatest danger. After the age of
30, death rates among women who take the pill and smoke rise
dramatically.
Another reason for the large number of women who use the
pill, Miller says, is that many people think of it as the only option.
“They either are not aware or just don’t think about the variety
of methods of birth control, ” she says.
Planned Parenthood is currently encouraging the use of
condoms.
“What I tell everybody is, ‘Be on a primary method of birth