Officials Outline Consequences of Casual Sex

It is the classic scenario: Boy meets girl. Boy takes girl home. Boy and girl struggle to remember names and find articles of clothing the next morning.

Sadly, morning-after awkwardness might be the mildest ramification of what is commonly known as "hooking up."

Whether it be because of the influence of alcohol, peer pressure or just getting carried away, hooking up can lead to casual sexual encounters, which can have serious strings attached -- including rape, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

And students at UNC are not immune to such problems.

According to data from the Department of Public Safety, eight forcible sex offenses were reported in the area that includes UNC residence halls and Granville Towers in 1999, and 10 were reported in 2000. But University Police Chief Derek Poarch said he thinks the actual number of offenses is much higher.

Poarch said he thinks that because many victims of rape know their attacker, they are more reluctant to report the crime and press charges.

"I think in the majority of cases that the victim knows the assailant at some level," he said.

But even when sex is consensual, the risks are still substantial.

One in five people in the United States has an STD, according to the American Social Health Association, and officials say the numbers are higher for college students.

"We know about 86 percent of all (STDs) occur in individuals 15 to 29 years old -- college students are right in the middle of that," said Scott Butler, coordinator of human sexuality programs at the Center for Healthy Student Behaviors.

Despite increased education about the risks of unsafe sex, STDs are still an acute problem in the Triangle area.

"Both Orange and Durham counties have STD rates that are higher than the state average," said Robyn Schryer, director of education and training for Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties Inc. "We see a large college population in both our Orange and Durham county offices."

Another possible consequence of unprotected sex is pregnancy.

Mary Schlegel, director of women's health at Student Health Service, said women who discover they are unintentionally pregnant often are shocked, upset and have feelings of denial.

Though these consequences are severe, Butler said most students have the ability to understand the risks they face from casual sex. "In general, the population we deal with has a lot of basic knowledge about prevention," he said. "What we try to do is ... give them all the options that are out there, including abstinence, proper condom use and increase the availability of services for students."

Butler said he would like to remind students that Valentine's Day is also National Condom Day in hope that facts about the risks of casual sex might provide a sobering reminder as Cupid makes his yearly visit with a sheath full of arrows.

Schlegel said, "I think sometimes people just don't realize that (STDs and pregnancy) could happen."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.