Sexually Transmitted Disease Rates in Texas Going Up

Kelly Jakubowski is a senior journalism major from Conroe. The opinions in this column are hers.

If it were true that condom availability leads to more sex, as some would have you believe, I know some people who'd be buying them by the case, carrying them around in wheelbarrows. It's like saying that if I had a book of matches, I'd start a fire.

Nevertheless, some people seem to think that teaching "safer sex," is a bad idea.

"Safer sex" acknowledges that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, but using protection helps decrease your risks, though they still exist. Ideally, you would choose your partner carefully, to further reduce your risks, and communicate about each other's health.

In December of 2004, the Centers for Disease Control released a statement that their research proves teen sexual activity is in a downward trend since 1995 and use of contraception is up.

In addition, according to CBS news, George Washington University's School of Public Health and Academy for Educational Development conducted a study of 4,166 high school students at 59 schools. Nine of the schools had condom availability programs and 50 did not. Of the schools with availability programs, researchers found that students were actually less likely to have sex, and of those that did, they were more likely to use a condom when they did.

It seems that teaching kids about condoms simply makes them more likely to be careful, if they make the choice to have sex.

The CBS article added, "Researchers said it may not have been that making condoms available prompted teens to use them, but that communities that were likely to adopt the programs were also more likely to support condom use to begin with."

SHSU once had condoms in vending machines. Marlin Birdwell, vending services manager, said they just didn't sell well, and were discontinued as a matter of cost.

Birdwell seems comfortable with the idea of bringing them back, if students want them.

"I don't really have an opinion either way," he said. "I'm just here to please Sam Houston State University."

Students are either OK with only being able to get them at the convenience store in the LSC or they're getting them off campus. Or not at all.

Planned Parenthood's risk reduction specialist, Julio Ascencio, said that this is a bad time for people to gamble with their health. After an encouraging downward trend in sexually transmitted diseases for the last few years, "the rate of STD's are going up in almost every category," he said. "Right now, in Texas, we are having a big problem with syphilis."

Michelle Lovering, SHSU's Health Program Coordinator, added, "Half of all new HIV infections are in the under 25 age group, which is significant for college populations. Syphilis is particularly a problem among the immuno-deficient and even the general population. It has been very low since '02 and then it started increasing."

Syphilis is one of the so-called fluid-transmitted diseases, and therefore is highly preventable with condom usage. Even some skin-to-skin contact STD's can occasionally be stopped with condoms.

Lovering said, "The most important thing students need to know is how to use condoms correctly. 60-80 percent of college students do not know how to use them correctly, and they need to know that they need to use them. Information is available from a number of sources. Simply type "how to use a condom" into the search box of a Web search vehicle such as Lycos.

"Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent STD's and pregnancy, but if you are going to be sexually active, condoms are so important for prevention."

Educational issues like internet rumors and misinformation will always affect young people, so if someone who isn't qualified tells you something that doesn't seem right, Lovering advises students to do the research with studies that are peer-reviewed and keep in mind that different organizations have different politics.

"It happens a lot with health information, but a lot of organizations that are agenda-based can twist information," she said.

The Health Center, B.A.S.E. (Bearkats Advocating Sex Education,) and sex education classes on campus are a good way to get more information from reliable sources. The Health program can be reached at 936.294.1805 and B.A.S.E. can be e-mailed at stdakc14@shsu.edu.

"I think some people try to use scare tactics to scare the pants back on people," Lovering said, "but I prefer to take the honest approach and let students decide for themselves. They are young adults now."

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SHSU Media Contact: Kelly Jakubowski
March 30, 2006
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