On many college campuses, the frequent moans escaping the thin walls can only mean one thing, sex. Sexual activity on college campuses is common among students but what can be even more common is the number of students being infected with STDs.

From common knowledge and sex education programs to contraceptives being provided and fully equipped health care providers at students’ disposal, campuses worldwide are promoting safe sex; yet students aren’t listening. According to the Centers for Disease control and prevention, commonly referred to as the CDC, young adults aging between 20 through 24 are at higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Reasons being the multiple sexual partners' college students encounter rather than a single, long term relationship and the likely engagement in unprotected sex. By the age of 25, 1 in 2 sexually active people will have contracted an STI.

The Health Center at SUNY Old Westbury, along with many other colleges, provides contraception such as condoms and prescription for birth control to students in need. While many schools provide free condoms and sexual education information, many students are not taking advantage of the resources they provide and are putting themselves at very high risk for potentially life to change infections.  “Sexually transmitted diseases are very common in young adults who share a common space such as a college campus” comments Rhonda White, Physician’s Assistant at Brookdale Hospital, when asked about the cases of young girls treated for STDs. “Many infections (STIs) go unnoticed and because of that, it is spread from partner to partner. I’ve observed the scary fact that not many young people between the ages of 15-25 get tested until it is dangerously close to causing real health problem” She added.

According to the blog 10 Truly Shocking Stats on STDs and College Students, “It is estimated that one in four college students will contract an STD during their time at school. In the larger population, this works out to 50 percent of people getting an STD at some time in their life.” But why are the chances to contract an STD so high when condoms are not only free but basically pushed on students? For one student, embarrassment answers that question. “It’s weird walking out the health center with a bag full of condoms. The guy should just have them already, I mean if he wants to have sex he should take care of that” says Amanda Grace, a freshman at SUNY Old Westbury. When asked if she’s ever partaken in intercourse without protection, she didn’t comment directly but added “this is college, students don’t always think of being serious or relationships or whatever. We just want to have fun, sometimes that includes a one-night hookup and never seeing or talking to that person again.” Grace isn’t the only student with the mentality of just having fun, Ryan Miller recent graduate from Stony Brook says “College is all about having fun and sex plays a Huge part in that. I wrap it up every time, well almost every time, you can’t trust everyone but sometimes you do get caught in the moment.”  

“Caught in the moment” is one of the top excuses for not using contraception on a college campus. Only 54 percent of students regularly use condoms during vaginal intercourse and four percent during oral sex. “Those numbers are sadly low and perhaps the reason STD levels are so high among students,” says Nurse Adele from the student health center at SUNY Old Westbury. She couldn’t give out statistics or increasing numbers on students rates due to doctor-patient confidentiality and all those records being locked but she directed me to the CDC website where they submit their records. She did say this, however “as a health care provider, I urge students to get tested. A lot of students come in and out of here and all similar. They didn’t know their partner had something or they don’t trust them. Your health is nothing to play games with, take care of it before it’s too late.”

For one student it was too late. Andrew Brown transfer at SUNY Old Westbury discovered to quickly the repercussions of unprotected sex. “I had sex with someone a few weeks into school and the second time we didn’t use a condom. I didn’t think anything of it, she seemed like a good girl” Andrew says. But later that month, after having sex with yet another girl unprotected on campus, word got back to Andrew that he should get tested. “When she told me she went to the health center the first thought in my head was ‘damn she pregnant’ but when she strongly suggested I go, that’s when I really got scared” he recalls. “Sure enough, I had chlamydia. It’s crazy because I didn’t notice anything different. I gave it to someone and who knows how many people she slept with after me, this is a small campus after all.”

According to statistics from the CDC, although people ages 15-24 represent only 25 percent of the sexually active population, they account for more than half of the new STD diagnoses each year. STDs are 100 percent preventable, students need to be more aware of how their actions affect not only them but whoever they choose to be with. “I am lucky it was just chlamydia and not something worse, I know as a student we hear stories of HIV and AIDs but for some reason, we feel untouchable. I got a quick newsflash we are Not untouchable” Says Brown. Apparently what happens on a college campus does not always stay on a college campus.