PAGE 6 The News Argus May 1989
features
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Are We Being Sure?
By Rondolyn Hickman
STAFF WRITER
Sexually transmitted diseases are a
serious problem at Winston-Salem State
University and other college campuses,
according to public health officials, and
there is evidence that few students are
addressing the problem.
Dr. Robert Wooten, an assistant
physician with the Forsyth County
Health Department, said in a recent
interview that about half of the patients
with sexually transmitted diseases treat
ed at the county public health clinic are
students at local colleges.
"There are approximately 100 new
cases of sexually transmitted diseases
reported each week, and 80 percent of
them are between 15 and 25 years of
age," Wooten said. "Out of this percent
age it is reported that a significant num
ber of these cases are students."
In a society that provides free litera
ture, free birth conu-ol and protection,
along with counseling, why don't people
protect themselves? Why are so many
new cases of sexually transmitted dis
eases reported each year? If college stu
dents are in an environment of learning
and knowledge, why do they fall victim
to this problem?
One reason may be that people in
our society are too naive when it comes
to sex with their partners. All too often
people think about the pleasure and not
the pain that can result from unprotected
sex. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficien
cy Syndrome) is no longer the most-
talked-about disease. Others such as
gonorrhea, chlamydia, non-gonococcal
urethritis (NGU), syphilis and tri
chomonas are hitting people hard.
Myths are another problem concerning
sexually transmitted diseases.
Lacey Ann Dohlar, an educator
with the Forsyth County Health Depart
ment, said, "People think they can look
at a person and tell whether they are
clean or not, but you can't tell just by
looking at them what is in that persons
bloodstream." She said that the biggest
reasons for the spread of sexually trans
mitted diseases are carelessness and not
being informed on the issues.
And it i£ a big problem on the cam
pus of WSSU. Many students are not
aware of the seriousness of sexual dis
eases and are not informed.
A seminar on "Love, Sex and You"
was offered April 20 in Pegram Hall.
Sexual diseases were discussed by a
public health official, who gave out free
condoms along with advice on how to
use them.
Only two students showed up.
There are free pamphlets in the
infirmary that hardly anyone reads. Free
protection is offered in the WSSU infir
mary, but few people take advantage of
it.
Recently 30 people on campus were
asked if they knew that the WSSU infir
mary dispenses free condoms. Only
fourteen said they knew that. The nurses
at the infirmary said that only about
seven students per month ask for con
doms.
True, this small survey may not be a
representative of the whole student
body, but it does say something. Either
students at WSSU are not having sex, or
they're not protecting themselves.
Which do you think is the case?
If information and protection are
being offered free of charge, it is up to
the individual to take advantage of it,
especially if he or she has more than
one sexual partner on a regular basis.
One complicated problem often
rises between couples conceming sexual
diseases. This is the matter of trust.
There are couples who love each other
and trust each other (which is wonderful
for them), but when it comes to your
health and well-being you have to put
trust aside.
Some women feel if they ask a part
ner to wear a condom he will become
upset and say she doesn't trust him.
Some men feel that asking them to wear
condoms is like telling them they're
being unfaithful.
The plain and simple fact of the
matter is, sexual diseases are a serious
problem in our society. People need to
put their egos aside and be cautious and
careful. There are many women now
who carry condoms with them, and
there are even condoms made for
women.
A recent report released by the Sur
geon General states, when you have sex
with someone, you are sleeping with
everyone that person has slept with for
the past seven years. Think about it;
that's a lot of people. If a person choos
es to have intercourse with someone,
especially if a person has more than one
regular partner, they should use a con
dom. If they do not want to use a con
dom, they should abstain from sexual
intercourse — or ask for a medical
record.
Sexually transmitted diseases are
affecting college-age people. It is the
obligation of individuals to protect
themselves. These diseases are serious
and can often result in dangerous health
tissue scarring in women, infertility in
men and women, and even death.
Remember, it's your life. Think
about how your decisions are going to
affect you and your health for the rest of
your life. It is up to us to protect our
selves.
Dote Rope: Why It Happens, What You Can Do
By Lisa Stewart
STAFF WRITER
Some people believe campus living
to be an environment where, for the
most part, students are set off from the
outside world. Usually students feel safe
in these surroundings because the faces
they see everyday do not pose a threat
to them. What would happen to this
community if, for instance, one of these
familiar faces suddenly became a vio
lent attacker or, to be more specific, a
rapist?
Every six minutes a woman is raped
in the United States. Children as young
as three and women as old as 85 have
been victims of this type of sexual
assault. Almost half of all reported
rapes and those that go unreported are
acquaintance or date rapes, committed
by someone the victim knew.
Experts say there are a lot of mis
conceptions when dealing with date
rape. For instance, the woman's dress or
behavior impels the man to rape. This,
like many statements dealing with date
rape, is false. Statistics show almost
60% of individual rapes and 90% of
group rapes are planned!
What gives men the right to sexual
ly assert themselves on unwilling
women? Do men who commit date rape
consider themselves rapists at all? Is a
date with a woman an automatic agree
ment on her part for sexual activity?
Carol Williams of the Rape
Response Center says there are many
excuses men use for rape: the majority
of all causes are based on myth. Date
rape, according to Williams, usually
hapf)ens when the couple is going out
for the first time. In general, the victims
are college students and people who
aren't dating are considered fair game
for the date rapist.
Williams says sometimes the
attacker may misread the women's sig
nals. It is important to stress to the per
son before going out on a date exactly
what your intentions are. If the woman
does not plan to have sexual inter
course, this needs to be discussed.
Another way to help prevent date
rape, says Williams, is to check the guy
out. Find out from people who have
dated him what he's like.
If the situation has already begun to
get out of hand, there are some active as
well as passive techniques that might
prevent a date rape. Williams says a few
of the passive techniques are to try and
talk the man out of raping you. Reason
ing may seem a far fetched idea at the
time, but it just might work.
More active ways to prevent a rape
would be screaming or throwing what
ever is available at the rapist.
The victims of date rape are more
likely to be between the ages of 16 and
24. However, date rape can happen to
anyone in a dating situation at any age.
Unfortunately, there are many per
petrators of this crime going free
because of unreported incidents.
According to Carol Williams, the vic
tims of date rape usually blame them
selves.
Ram Fest
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
doesn't sponsor a spring festival, she
replied, "We have two weeks instead of
two days."
State has a Greek Week, followed by
a Student Appreciation Week, filled with
activities tor students. This year Greek
Week was from April 17 to April 22.
Omegas and Deltas, Kappas, Alphas and
AKAs, Zetas and Sigmas, and Sigma
Gamma Rho each had a day set aside for
them to give students a peek into their
organizations.
Friday night, April 21, the Greeks
were hosts of a step show in the Kenneth
R. Williams Auditorium. Saturday, April
22, the Student Govemment Association
sponsored a group trip to King's Domin
ion. When asked if they were going on the
Dominion trip, most students replied that
they would be at Aggie Fest.
Students feel a sense of disappoint
ment that State's No. 1 rival has a tradi
tion, the Aggie Fest, that brings guys and
girls from high schools and colleges all
over North Carolina and Virginia.
"Ram Fest. Don't even talk about a
Ram FesL We'll never have one," says one
State sophomore. "Besides, everyone will
be at Aggie FesL"
Frank Gaffney, a second-year student
at Forsyth Technical College, remarked
that "if they could get somebody like
Prince or Guy, they'd rival Aggie FesL"
Everyone may not agree on these par
ticular artists, but they are in agreement
that a Ram Fest is wanted.