HeadSTRONG gave out free condoms, cookies and information about sexual health in the University Student Union on Tuesday evening in an event called “Sex at the Beach.”
This is the first time the organization put this kind of event together, according to Kristin Davi, founder of HeadSTRONG. She said the purpose of the event is to bring awareness about sexual health to the students.
“We envision in five years reaching out to other campuses and having so many applications from other schools that we have to actually turn people away,” President of HeadSTRONG Amanda Green said about the organization’s future goals.
Associated Students Inc. named HeadSTRONG “Organization of the Year” last year, after its second active year. The club is aimed at supporting and advocating for student suffering through eating disorders, low self-esteem, physical appearance discrimination or other reasons, such as verbal and sexual abuse.
Heidi Burkey, coordinator of the Health Resource Center, spoke for the presentation, discussing topics with students ranging from sexually transmitted infection statistics to sexually open relationships to the prostitutes that work the corners of Anaheim Street at 6 a.m.
According to Burkey, HPV (human papillomavirus), chlamydia and herpes are the most common sexually transmitted infections found in students today, in that order.
“Every partner you have increases your risk of HPV by 10 percent,” she said, adding that if people have more than 10 partners, they are likely guaranteed to have HPV, even if they used condoms.
Unfortunately, for men, there is no test for HPV. Visual diagnosis is the only way to tell if an infection is present. However, most men and women have no signs of the virus. Burkey showed pictures from a Powerpoint of symptoms.
She also educated students about a vaccine, Gardasil, which is approved by the FDA for men and women to prevent the four most common types of HPV.
The vaccine is free to people with low income and no health insurance who qualify. Otherwise, it is available at the Student Health Services building for $140.
Burkey noted that one in four people will contract a STI. That risk increases to one in two for those who are sexually active. Most of these statistics are of young adults between 13 and 24.
She also buried some sexual myths such as the “pulling out” method of birth control, and “you can’t get pregnant on your period.”
“Pulling out works 85 percent of the time,” she said. That means a pregnancy would occur at least once out of 10 times pulling out.
The presentation was originally scheduled for one hour, but went on for 30 extra minutes.
Burkey said condom use is a topic she could have talked more about.
“Students who see a condom demonstration are more likely to use them,” she said. “Some patients have never seen a condom up close.”
Students can find more information on sexual health at the Student Health Services building on campus.
Christina Fennell, vice president of HeadSTRONG, said Awareness Week, their biggest event of the year, will be held from April 25-29.
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