You wake up in bed — possibly in someone else’s bed — and realize what happened. You had unprotected sex last night. Maybe you were drinking, or maybe it just seemed like a good idea at the time. Whatever the reason, you have to act — and fast, especially if you’re a girl.
So what should you do first? The objective here is to give you a mental map of the steps to take when you’ve engaged in high-risk sex and need to protect yourself from its possible consequences. For the purposes of this installment, I’m assuming heterosexual, vaginal intercourse. If you have engaged in other types of sex, including oral, anal, homosexual or any combination thereof, you are still at risk for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. In fact, your risk may even be increased, especially if you are participating in anal sex, so read on. And if you’re really a model citizen, you should cut this column out and put it up on your fridge (one of your roommates might need it just as much as you do).
The first thing you need to do is assess the risks involved. If you’re a female and you had sex without a condom, you’re going to need to worry about pregnancy and STIs. (If you are using an alternative type of birth control, your main concern is STIs, as long as you are using the birth control correctly). If you’re a male, you will primarily be concerned about STIs, but you should also stop to ask yourself if your partner could be pregnant.
If you’re worried about pregnancy — and would rather not be pregnant — act fast. Really fast! The first thing to do is call Student Health, which offers non-directive pregnancy counseling, as well as emergency contraception, sometimes referred to as EC or Plan B. If you don’t want counseling, Plan B is available at Student Health without a prescription to males and females who are over 18 if they present a government-issued ID. If you are under 18, you will need to visit Student Health or another medical care provider to obtain a prescription. The cost is $27. This is more expensive than regular birth control use and has some side effects, so don’t rely upon it as your birth control method!
Plan B consists of a high dosage of the hormones found in some types of birth control pills. It works by preventing the release of an egg from the ovary. In the case that an egg has already been released (depending upon where you are in your cycle), it works either by preventing fertilization of the egg or making it impossible for the egg to implant. Once you are pregnant, however, Plan B will not work. This is why expediency is key. Plan B is more effective the sooner you take it, and is most effective if taken within three days after intercourse, although Student Health will administer Plan B up to five days after intercourse. It is not an abortion, since it has no effect on a previously implanted egg.
STIs require prompt action, but they cannot be addressed so immediately because it takes longer for STIs to show up positive in testing. To address the risk, you should call Student Health or another medical care provider for counseling. They will determine those diseases for which you are at risk, then set up appointments in the coming days and weeks to test you. It is important to note that you cannot go in and just ask to get tested for “everything.” It’s not medically possible — they will talk to you and customize testing and treatment for your particular needs.
If you did use a condom, that’s great. It’s important to note, however, that any sex carries some amount of risk, even if you’re using a condom. This is because some STIs, such as HPV and herpes, can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact by areas of the skin that aren’t covered by the condom. So while a condom is really your best choice if you choose to engage in sex, know that though you’re at lower risk for STIs, you aren’t completely safe.
You’ve all heard before that the only 100-percent safe method is abstinence. But since many college students do choose to have sex, two guidelines can really help cut your risk of contracting an STI or becoming pregnant. First, try to avoid having sex if you’ve been drinking. Drinking lowers the level of judgment you can employ in making wise sexual decisions, and besides, it’s just not as much fun. This is because bodily sensations are dampened when your blood alcohol content is high. Secondly, try to limit the number of sexual partners you have. Be picky. The fewer partners you have, the lesser risk you run of contracting an STI.
If you’re having sex, you should be tested annually for STIs, whether you think are putting yourself in risky situations or not. It’s always possible that your partner has been putting him/herself in risky situations, and even if they’ve tested negative since their last partner, it is possible that an STI just hasn’t yet manifested itself in test results.
Finally, if you want to further educate yourself about safe sex before you go out there and have some nighttime romps, you can make an appointment with a peer health educator, who would love to talk to you about STIs, risks and safer sex practices. Be wise and think about your decisions before you act. But in the case that you do find yourself in a sticky situation, you can be prepared to handle it.
And remember: If you find you need help after traditional work hours, Student Health and other agencies offer help at all times of day by phone.
Andrenne is a fourth-year College student. She can be reached at a.alsum@cavalierdaily.com.
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