Citing reckless sexual behavior and a poor understanding of sexual health among college students, officials from Trojan Condoms sponsored a panel discussion among college journalists on April 14 at the Living Room in the North End to brainstorm ideas for increasing condom use among college students. The panel included former Loveline co-host Drew Pinsky and Boink editor and Boston University alumnus Alecia Oleyourryk.
Representatives from Trojan and the panel considered ways to dispel the idea that condoms are a hassle, saying that college students are reluctant to make the effort to buy condoms, ignoring the inherent risks of not using protection. In an effort to emphasize the importance of condoms, Pinsky asked the panel to “forget we were talking about sex and condoms,” and think of it as a discussion on health.
Panel members partially attributed decreased condom use to a widespread “hook-up” culture, noting that formal college dating is occurs less compared to drunken one-night stands. According to panel moderators, college students often engage in unprotected sex as a result of alcohol consumption and do not take the time to consider the risks.
“Condoms could be equated to wearing seatbelts,” said Pinsky, adding he hopes to change the minds of people who think they should not bother using condoms because they are not 100 percent effective. Pinsky said seatbelts may not be completely effective either, but they do save lives.
Trojan representatives asked the students, who represented schools along the east coast, to formulate effective strategies to advertise condoms and promote sexual health. Ideas ranged from having obese, bare-chested men dressed as guerrilla fighters handing out condoms at spring break hotspots, to having free condoms in easily accessible places across all college campuses.
According to the panel, the methods that school administrations use to handle sexual education also plays a significant role in student’s behaviors towards condoms. The panel cited the example of Georgetown University, which does not allow condoms to be sold on campus, as creating a culture of uninformed students who do not know enough about the negative consequences of not using condoms.
Trojan representatives prepared a poster showcasing facts about sexual health and asked how they could portray the information in a more appealing manner for college students.
“Sexual health is the experience of enjoying our sexuality, both emotional and physical, throughout life,” said Trojan representative Howard Pulchin.
Panel moderators also addressed sexually transmitted diseases, particularly human papilloma viruses that that could potentially be prevented by condoms. According to moderators, HPV is linked to cervical cancer in women. Researchers believe HPVs are linked to penile cancer in men. Moderators said most people are not aware of HPVs, which can usually be prevented by condom use.
Looking to expand the conversation across the country, Trojan will sponsor similar panel discussions in Chicago and Los Angeles.