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Safe Sex or No Sex? The Do’s and Don’t’s of College Hook-Ups

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rowan chapter.

I bet you’ve seen him before. Oh, you know. Him. The extremely good-looking guy in your class, and I’m sure you’ve worn your share of cute clothes to catch his eye. But here’s the big question. Are you going to have sex with him?

It is an old school rumor that a majority of female college students would have lost their virginity in high school, so assuming this is true and you are part of that group (Virgins, hold tight, we have news for you too!) here’s a few tips, horror stories and guidelines to live by as a female in college.

No Awkward Hallway Run-In’s?

Sure, in high school it was dreadful seeing a guy you hooked up with in the halls, but it isn’t so bad in college right? Well, you could be wrong. 22-year-old, Andrea Weaver, who is a senior at Rowan University dishes an embarrassing horror story of an awkward run-in with a previous hook-up.

“We met at a party, and I never thought I’d run into him on such a big campus. Come spring semester I walked into my class and there he was! The worst part? He never acknowledged me! It was awful!”

Everybody else is doing it

Doesn’t that sound familiar? Right, because you heard it in high school, but it still isn’t true! Not all college kids are having sex or hooking up!

“I just haven’t found the right guy,” said Megan Cordell, 20, “And I believe that it’s worth waiting for. Who cares if everyone else is doing it? It doesn’t mean I have to.”

How to Get Out of Doing-It

It’s late, and things are spicing up with your cutie. You don’t want to go all the way though so what do you do?

1.      Tell a friend to call you at a certain time. Answer the call, and make an excuse to leave.

2.      Tell him you’re tired, and want to go home.

3.      Tell him it’s not the “right time of the month.”

4.      Just say you aren’t ready. He should understand, and if not, he isn’t worth it!

 

Can’t say no? Yes you can!

“I was making out with a guy, and he wanted to go farther than I was comfortable with. I told him no, and he wasn’t angry at all. He told me he was glad that I spoke up, and we actually dated for two years,” said Jennifer Hackney, 22.

If you do decide to do it, be safe about it!

Every Resident Assistant at Rowan University has a program involving safe sex where they hand out free condoms. Missed it? Go to a nearby pharmacy, the bookstore on-campus or see your doctor if you have further questions. If you are old enough to decide to have sex then you are old enough to buy protection on your own. (They don’t exactly throw in a few condoms in your care packages).

It’s Not All About Sex

Many think that other types of sex (such as oral, etc.) are not as serious as intercourse, but they are just as emotional and prone to disease as well. “It won’t happen to me” isn’t a fool proof plan to avoid catching a disease, and “Hooking up is just for fun” doesn’t apply to everyone. The big questions to ask before any kind of sexual activity is: Am I sure I want this? Will I regret this? How will I feel afterward? Can I trust the person I am with?

These are all choices, questions, decisions and life changing moments that you can only determine on your own. The choices you make reflect who you are as a person, and they also pave the way to what your future holds. I’m not being a Negative Nancy and telling all to not hook-up. Just be smart about it. It’s your life. You decide what happens in it. 

Jaymilynn, also known as Jaymi, is a 4th year Senior at Rowan University. She is currently studying for her Bachelors in Public Relations, and is pursuing a minor in Advertising and Journalism. She is also pursuing a concentration in Creative Writing. Jaymi hails from the small Mom-And-Pop town of Galloway, New Jersey. She is a member of Rowan's PRSSA. Jaymi is also a staff writer for the on-campus school newspaper, The Whit. With big dreams of being a novelist someday, Jaymi spends a majority of her time reading books and working on writing a book series of her own. To friends she is known to be a bit cynical, but loveable as well. A Mac'N Cheese fanatic, faithful Yoga attendee, and an extreme chocolate lover! She's a wide-eyed girl ready to take on the world one sarcastic comment at a time!