STDs and Margaritas

According to the American Social Health Association, one in five people in the United States has a sexually transmitted disease and two-thirds of all STDs are present in people 25 years of age or younger. With spring break approaching, experts say college students, already in an at-risk age bracket, must be particularly cognizant of the dangers of unprotected sex.

"Here at UB, the most common STDs are genital warts, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea [and] molluscum contagiosum. We certainly see an increase in STDs following spring break," said Dr. Frank Carnevale, medical director at UB's Student Health Center.

Whether in Cancun, Jamaica, Daytona Beach or another popular spring break destination, romance is romance and the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases is high.

Kristin Mozg, a UB sophomore, says casual sex is not a necessary component of spring break.

"Spring break is not intended just to hook up. It's all about getting as drunk as possible and having good times," said Mozg. When asked if she, too, has "hooked up" on spring break, Mozg smiled and replied, "I played the alphabet game. You know, A for Adam, B for Ben, etc., but we only kissed them. It was fun to make it through the alphabet, though."

Even though Mozg said she drank heavily over spring break, she still remained more responsible than others she observed. "I saw girls and guys running around naked, and I felt bad for one of the girls on the trip. Her roommate had a different guy in her room every night, and she sometimes couldn't get into her room for hours."

Elizabeth Curry, a junior communication major, has never gone on spring break, but she said she has a good idea of what it involves.

"I think spring break is all about alcohol: how much you drink, how fast you can drink it, to the point you can't drink anymore," she said. "I think all the drinking is what leads to hooking up and casual sex. It's simple. You drink heavily, you don't care what you do, and you are bound to have a lot of sex."

Health care workers corroborated many of the student sentiments.

"It is well known in the college health field that combining the normal developmental tendency of young adults to experiment in many areas of their life with the easy access to alcohol common in most spring break sites, is a formula for some potentially unhealthy outcomes," said Carnevale.

"Someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not make the most healthy decisions leading to unintended pregnancies and/or STDs including HIV," he continued.

Other students said that since casual sex and alcohol consumption are often a part of spring break, such experiences test one's ability to maintain control and be responsible.

"I don't think spring break is all about sex unless you want it to be," said sophomore Dena Giordano. "If you are committed to someone, it is a true test to see how much he or she really means to you. Is one week of extreme gratification really worth ruining what you have at home? I don't think so. But if you're single, do whatever your little heart desires. You just have to be responsible about it."

Giordano's roommate, junior Natalie Donato, agreed.

"My then-boyfriend of four years decided to go on spring break to Panama City and cheated on me," she said. "Spring break can be all about temptation (but) it's just the way you look at it."

For those who do plan on going wild during spring break this year, UB offers resources that could save a significant amount of trouble and pain.

"Another great service the Student Health Center offers is our travel clinic," said Carnevale. "We do not charge the students to see our infectious disease physician. We can give travel advice and recommendations on how to stay healthy overseas as well as immunizations and/or medications that students can take with them on their trips."

Carnevale also recommends packing common sense.

"Of course, the best way to stay healthy on spring break is to use good judgment in your decisions. Prevention is always better than treatment. Mixing alcohol with decisions about sexual activity may lead to unintended outcomes. If you are going to be sexually active, condom use is an important part of staying healthy," he added.