Everybody knows that “safe sex” consists of some sort of protection and precautions. After all, we are too young to get preggo, right? Well, even though the era of “Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll” has long passed, the “sex” portion of our generation has taken more of a risky approach. Most alarmingly, the title on a recently published article on theprovince.com stated that, “Just half of Canadian university students use a condom during sex.”
What gives? Have teenagers not learned from health class that the infamous “pull out method” is not fully reliable, and that pre-ejaculate (or pre-cum, the common term) can knock you up?
According to the article, around 72% of all 1,500 college students surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse in the past year, with only 51% of those claiming to use protection. This means, in essence, that our generation is at greater risk for teenage pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases. It is even noted that the rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea have increased over the past decade, with most of the reported cases being people aged 15 to 29 years old.
As a teenager myself, I can say we believe we are invincible—no matter how reckless we are. This is a dangerous way of thinking, though. If the pull out method is done normally (AKA not always perfectly), plannedparenthood.com reports a rate of 27 in 100 women getting pregnant each year. Along with the pregnancy surprise comes STDs as well, which, if you fail to use a condom, can be easily contracted in college. Let’s not forget about the one night stand situations where one might not know the past sexual history of their partner. I am sure it is awkward to say to the girl/guy you are about to sleep with: “Hey, uhhhhh, do you have a sexually transmitted disease? Because if you do that would really kill these vibes here.” Are they always going to tell you if they have something going on down there if they really want to get laid? Highly doubtful.
This is why condoms are so important. Not only do they prevent pregnancy, but they also protect you against the “other stuff” as well. Yes, risks can be so much fun! Who doesn’t love living on the edge, right? But if you are a risk/adrenaline junkie, go skydiving or whatever else makes you go, “Wooo!” So, guys, let’s wrap it up. That way, you will not have to juggle an unplanned child or STD and college at the same time—that is just some unwanted multi-tasking right there.
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