Sex Matters STIs Get the Facts and Protect Yourself

Author: Tess Russsell

In honor of "Let's Talk about Sex" month, this three-part series will focus on three different aspects of sexual health awareness over the course of the coming weeks. This week's installment, "Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)," discusses campus attitudes towards safe sex and examines the testing and vaccination services available through Parton Health Center. Part II will appear in next week's issue and will highlight concerns surrounding "Contraception and Pregnancy" at Middlebury, while also exploring the different approaches that male and female students take to sexual health. The final topic of the series, "Consent and Sexual Violence," will appear on March 6 and will delve into the gray areas of consent and sexual responsibility, particularly where alcohol and drugs are involved.

On Feb. 16, The Grille played host to a much larger dinnertime crowd than usual. The occasion was the "Find Someone to Love Dating Game" and the response, if judged by students' laughter, was surprisingly enthusiastic and even raucous at times. The set-up is familiar: one lucky guy or gal gets to grill three hopeful contestants who are hidden behind an adjacent screen. Among the Middlebury version's highlights were the entrance of one bachelor in a partially clothed state, and the attempt of one contestant to elicit a positive recommendation from his competitor by bartering with a banana.

The game, as well as Sunday's "Sex Toy Party" and numerous other workshops and activities planned for the upcoming weeks, was organized in conjunction with "Let's Talk About Sex" month, a new initiative co-sponsored by eight different groups on campus and spearheaded by the Office of Health and Wellness Education. The organizers' decision to host both fun, lighthearted events and more serious, academic ones marks a new approach to targeting sexual health awareness at Middlebury.

"We didn't want to just hit students over the head with the drier educational topics," explained Jyoti Daniere, the Director of Health and Wellness for the College. "Instead we tried to give them a forum to actually date - to take a risk. I've sometimes been surprised at how risk-averse this campus is, but the 'Dating Game' really exceeded my expectations in terms of how brave and open people were with their responses."

Student Wellness Leader Ari Gimbel '09, who is helping to coordinate the upcoming "Speed Dating" in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, stressed that promoting opportunities for dating at Middlebury is an idea that stemmed from student interest.

"We want people to know that there are other people looking for adult relationships," Gimbel said. "It seems like people here think the way it works is that you hook up with someone first and then getting into a relationship follows, but in reality that setup has failed people - hence the success of something like the 'Dating Game.' People here want to date!"

But not all students are as forthcoming about their sexual heath concerns or as knowledgeable about the College's resources as they could be, explained Kolbe Franklin '08, President of Feminist Action at Middlebury.

"Often there is little relevant communication between male and female students regarding sexual health, even between people in relationships," Franklin said. "In general, the topic of sexuality is very taboo here, and the initiation of discourse is key not only to keeping people safe, but also to creating a healthier and more fulfilling dating scene on campus."

As far as health issues are concerned, Daniere noted that some Middlebury students have a misguided notion of sexual security on our sheltered Vermont campus. "Many students think that because we have such nice, smart, clean-cut kids here that no one has diseases," she said. "But that's a false and risky assumption."

In fact, Middlebury students are likely representative of the national college student body, which means that approximately one out of four students at the College is carrying an STI, even if that person is asymptomatic.

Yet the sweeping popularity of the HIV-testing clinics offered last November would suggest that students do understand the risks involved in sexual activity and take appropriate measures to insure their sexual health. The appointments, funded by the Student Global AIDS Campaign but held on site at Parton Health Center, filled up almost immediately.

Terry Jenny, the associate director of the Health Center, explained why these clinics are not a more common occurrence here on campus.

"We are working on providing free, anonymous testing here, but at the time are not able to," Jenny said. "For liability reasons, we make a notation in a student's file every time he or she visits the Health Center. These records are confidential - they are certainly not shared with the administration or the student's parents - but they are not truly anonymous because they are attached to someone's name."

The financial burden of testing is also one that the Health Center cannot carry on its own. While all medical consultations and many other services are free, some of the tests on the basic STI panel (which screens for HIV, Hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) have to be sourced out to Porter Hospital or a state laboratory facility. At that point, the fees may vary widely from student to student depending on their insurance plans.

These disparities are particularly important when considering highly expensive vaccinations and treatment, like the Gardasil shot that protects women against many strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Nearly 80 percent of sexually active women over 50 are carriers of some strain of HPV. Gardasil, through a series of three inoculations, prevents infection with the two strains that cause seven out of 10 cases of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, if not covered by insurance, the vaccine is almost prohibitively expensive at close to $400.

Still, vaccination and testing services are relatively popular among students, Jenny noted.

"We have had a lot of girls come in to inquire about the vaccine or to get the second and third shots of the series they started at home over the summer," she said. "We also see a lot of people coming in for STI testing and women coming in for routine gynecological exams. We ask them if they are concerned about anything in particular - whether they have any symptoms - but often they've just heard or read that it's a good idea to get tested or they're doing it because they just got involved in a new relationship."

Daniere agreed that this "peace of mind" testing is an excellent idea. "You'll be safer and more comfortable after you find out what your status is," she said.