By Heather White
At the University of Louisville, some students see college as more than just hitting the books.
“If you’re not having sex, you might be studying,” said Josh Roberts, a junior psychology major.
Research supports many of the stereotypes about college students and their sexual activity. A University of Minnesota study on student health earlier this year said that 72.1 percent of college students had been sexually active within the last month. These figures reflected trends among universities nationally.
However, many students are able to resist the urge. “Sex and alcohol can’t satisfy for long,” said senior English major Staci Calamaio, Resident Assistant in Threlkeld Hall. She said her faith helps her avoid the “temporary gratification” of sex.
Some argue that the college environment may even encourage increased sexual activity.
Roberts suggested students may use sex as a means of blowing off steam. “There is a lot of stress during finals… sex is one of the best sources of stress relief. Maybe we’d be better off at finals if we had more sex,” he said.
Easier access to drugs and alcohol may also play a role. “People are drawn to sex, alcohol and drugs out of a desire for pleasure; everyone desires pleasure,” said Calamaio.
Do the preconceived notions about college students actually pin-point their promiscuity?
In the same study, nearly four out of five students said they had zero or only one partner within the last 12 months.
“Students are pretty monogamous according to the results, which contradicts the commonly held stereotype of students being promiscuous,” said researcher Dr. Ed Ehlinger.
Some think on-campus living, and the freedom it entails, can also promote sexual activity. “It seems that most people view having sex as not being a big deal,” said freshman secondary education major Emily Wortham. “I think that being away from home does make students more likely to have sex.”
Victoria Spencer, a freshman political science major, also points out that living on campus makes a difference especially for young women. “Girls now are more prone to have sex because they have more places to have sex. A dorm room is slightly more comfortable than the backseat of a car.”
Though some elements of the campus environment may lead to promiscuity, the candor about sex-related subjects also promotes awareness and sexual education. For example, in a 2004 study, researchers at the University of Millersville found that nearly 60 percent of Greek students practiced safe sex regularly.
Researchers believed that the reason Greek students practice safer sex may have a lot to do with those students receiving better information about safe sex practices.
“Greek organizations typically require health education programs for their members,” stated the report. “Perhaps Greek members are hearing a safer sex message more frequently than other students.”
Joni Burke, U of L’s director of greek life, was unavailable for comment.
According to Dr. Anita Barbee, a U of L professor at the Kent School of Social Work, sexual education may be the key.
She said that in the last decade, schools have focused heavily upon abstinence-only education, not touching upon proper types of protection and correct, effective ways of using them.
“Currently, just an abstinence [education] delays it about 18 months,” said Barbee. “Then they have sex unprotected… that’s the problem with abstinence only.”
“Research shows that kids are less likely to have risky sex, or start young, if their parents have talked to them,” Barbee said. She said the more information children have about sex, the less likely they are to start young.
