College Students Will Have Sex Regardless Of Education

Anyone who's been to UB knows that the school is very committed to sex education.

Whether it's the free condoms that are readily available in the Wellness Center, or the comprehensive safe-sex programs that are taught both at orientation as well as throughout the year in the residence halls, there is a general commitment to making sure every student is as educated about sex as possible.

Of course, this degree of education is hardly unique to UB. Many colleges feature similarly comprehensive sex-education programs. They focus on issues such as rape, drugs, alcohol, proper condom use, and STDs.

For the most part, there isn't a great deal of objection to programs like this. It is generally understood that college is a place where many people engage in sexual activity on a regular basis, and as a result, as much education as possible is necessary.

Still, that has not stopped a student-run group called the Love and Fidelity Network from protesting this sort of education. The group spent Valentine's Day targeting several Ivy League campuses, including Yale and Princeton.

Its belief is that this sort of education promotes "a hook-up culture." In essence, the group believes the primary reason students choose to engage in sexual activity with the frequency they do is because the education they are given promotes the activity the group believes to be promiscuous.

At The Spectrum, we find this assertion ridiculous. The fact is, people are going to have sex, especially college students. This is going to happen regardless of what they're being taught.

Giving students a comprehensive sex education might make them feel more confident about engaging in sexual activity, but it will not be the reason why they do it. They are simply acting on their natural urges.

We have no problem with this group teaching an alternate version to the sex education offered at most campuses. If they want to teach in a manner that promotes abstinence or suggests waiting until one is in a serious relationship before having sex, we have no problem with that.

We simply disagree with the assertion that students are only having sex because they are being educated about it.

Sex is a part of campus living – for many people, a big part. Teaching college students about safe sex is simply the most logical way to go about things. If this group wants to teach it a different way, it can, but it should realize that sex education in college doesn't make students more likely to have sex.

Rather, it just makes them more likely to have sex without disastrous consequences. Students need to know the facts in order to avoid such consequences. This group may be well-intentioned, but it seems to be detached from reality. College students are going to have sex, and nothing can change that.