Topics on sexuality: student sexuality
Patricia Whelehan
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: College Life
College student sexuality is as varied as the people who comprise this population. There is much research to show that college students are sexually active, are generally within the age range of the highest prevalence of STIs in this country (15-24 years old), and engage in a wide range of behaviors that cross ethnic, sex, gender and sexual orientations. A minority of college students around the country choose to be abstinent, defined here, as not engaging in sexual behaviors with a partner(s). Since an increasing proportion of college-aged students are considered "returning, older, or non-traditional students," college student sexuality also incorporates people with children and families of procreation, i.e., those families formed upon marriage or some other recognized alliance.
So, what does this information mean about what college students do? Generally, this means that college cruise the internet for sexually-related information sites that include medical information, porn sites, and how-to sites, students masturbate, engage in oral, anal, and vaginal penetrative sex, use sex toys and enhancements, and, for some, engage in SM/BD behaviors. The important aspects of college student sexuality from the perspective of a sex therapist and HIV test counselor are that the behaviors are mutual, consensual, that people know what they are doing and how to engage in the behavior safely when SM/BD is involved, and that they are aware of, and ideally practicing safer sex to avoid STI infection and transmission and pregnancy.
College is also a time and place when students often more openly question their gender identities and sexual orientations than they had in grade or high school. How open and visible college student sexuality is on a campus may depend on where the campus is located, the overall population of the students, and what type of school it is. For example, faith-based campuses encourage abstinence, and it can be difficult accessing contraception or safer sex materials on these campuses. Campuses in socially, politically, and economically conservative areas of the country may have less visible GLBTAs-you'd call a hotline number, for example, to find out where and when meetings are held. Technical colleges may provide basic sexuality information, but may not have on campus the kinds of sexuality programming that occurs on a liberal arts campus as regularly.
If you are interested in specific research conducted on college student sexuality, The Journal of Sexuality Research is a widely respected publication which tends to highlight and regularly report on college student behavior.
So, what does this information mean about what college students do? Generally, this means that college cruise the internet for sexually-related information sites that include medical information, porn sites, and how-to sites, students masturbate, engage in oral, anal, and vaginal penetrative sex, use sex toys and enhancements, and, for some, engage in SM/BD behaviors. The important aspects of college student sexuality from the perspective of a sex therapist and HIV test counselor are that the behaviors are mutual, consensual, that people know what they are doing and how to engage in the behavior safely when SM/BD is involved, and that they are aware of, and ideally practicing safer sex to avoid STI infection and transmission and pregnancy.
College is also a time and place when students often more openly question their gender identities and sexual orientations than they had in grade or high school. How open and visible college student sexuality is on a campus may depend on where the campus is located, the overall population of the students, and what type of school it is. For example, faith-based campuses encourage abstinence, and it can be difficult accessing contraception or safer sex materials on these campuses. Campuses in socially, politically, and economically conservative areas of the country may have less visible GLBTAs-you'd call a hotline number, for example, to find out where and when meetings are held. Technical colleges may provide basic sexuality information, but may not have on campus the kinds of sexuality programming that occurs on a liberal arts campus as regularly.
If you are interested in specific research conducted on college student sexuality, The Journal of Sexuality Research is a widely respected publication which tends to highlight and regularly report on college student behavior.
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