Echo Times

Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Features

Media Credit: William Kennedy Colorful or even ordinary-looking condoms play an important role in making sex safer.

Every holiday ushers in the desire for merriment, but also for safety. During Halloween, make sure you and your kids stay in groups and eat only un-opened candy. During Christmas and New Years, using a designated driver or just simply staying in after drinking is a must. So what would it be for Valentine's Day?
A trunk full of condoms

Since Valentine's Day is the love holiday, it's only appropriate to remind everybody to practice safe sex. Most people have gone through their fair share of awkward sex-education classes and talks with their parents; but in all seriousness, safe sex is a topic that does need to be brought up before Valentine's Day.
Former COM student Kate Sumser is not afraid to discuss such matters. Sumser's car trunk is filled with shopping bags full of condoms. She also has extra in her purse in case there is an emergency. While driving to work, she lists off the new statistics for sexually transmitted diseases and she energetically discusses the new contraceptives they are to receive in the office.
Sumser is a state certified HIV test counselor at Student Health Outreach and Promotion, commonly known as SHOP, at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is currently a student. As an HIV test counselor her main focus is to test students for HIV and then help those in need through education and support. She is also a part of the Condom Co-op, a select group of students from SHOP who sell condoms around the UCSC campus at two for 25 cents, while providing information on STDs, STIs and preventative measures.
In love with safety

For her, the ability to emphasize the importance of sex education is a vocation.
"I immediately fell in love with spreading the 'gospel' of safe sex and ways to have safe, fun sexual activity," she said. "I then became very anti abstinence-based sex education and constantly talked about how I hoped to make a change in the way sex education is taught.
"It's important because people are so uneducated about sex and all of the things that come with it. There are surprisingly large amounts of people who don't know how STDs are transmitted, and it's sad. I think people should be comfortable with talking about sex and sexuality because if we don't, we end up with more unexpected pregnancies, and teenage mothers. And it's silly that we could prevent stuff like that just by being open and honest with our sex communication."
Learn and love

One easy way that students can begin their education on sexual health is by taking a course on human sexuality or health. COM currently offers a human sexuality course focusing on communication and information about human sexuality. Students who take the class learn about Freud and his theories on the human psyche as well as anatomy, STD symptoms and prevention, and effective communication for couples.
"I took human sexuality to really let me know about this subject because I previously had no knowledge about it," said Max Austin, a current human sexuality student. "Its extremely important that people are aware of sexual health issues because they could easily catch a disease or infection and not know anything about it… its better to be safe than sorry"
Max Simpson, a classmate of Austin's, shares his views.
"I think it's extremely important to educate people," Simpson said. STDs and STIs can be life-threatening. STDs are also something a lot of parents don't teach their kids about. The more society knows about risks associated with unsafe sex, the healthier everyone will be."
Sex-ed at COM

For current COM students, there are plenty of resources available to become educated on the topic of safe sex. Health Services provides a variety of pamphlets and counseling on birth control methods, STDs, safe sex practices and condom education. Free condoms can be found in the Health Services office as well as outside the Student Affairs Office, although there are no clubs or training programs available.
Both Austin and Simpson agreed that having health screenings at COM would be valuable for students.
"Preventative healthcare is the most efficient way to take care of a potential problem," Simpson said. "I think most students would also feel more comfortable going to a COM clinic rather than something like a Planned Parenthood."
However, those at the college currently seeking health screenings are referred out to community health providers, as this practice is more cost effective for the students at the moment.
"We refer to the Public Health Department's Women's Health Clinic and the County STD clinic for routine or STD screening," said June Lee, College of Marin's health center nurse. "Most if not all students would qualify under the county's Family Planning, Access, Care, Treatment program (FPACT) to receive low cost or no cost care for the screenings. The county's STD clinic has the most up-to-date testing and equipment to provide treatment on the spot. The Alternative Test Sites for HIV, which is free and anonymous, provides frequent testing in the county."
For more information, visit the COM Health Services Office or the Student Affairs office.

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