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Risky Behavior can put
Damper on Spring Break

Physicians say students should be careful when combining alcohol and sex

by XOCHITL CAMPOS

For many college students spring break is a chance to leave the cares of school and responsibilities behind. But physician Peggy Spencer at the University of New Mexico Student Health Center said students should think twice before they throw caution to the wind.

The risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease is something students should always be wary of, she said.

“I would say that we tend to see a little bit of a rise in people that come in for testing after Spring Break, for STDs and pregnancy and trauma,” she said.

Spencer said students should always be careful about the choices they make, especially when alcohol is involved.

“A lot of the time when people get into situations where they have regrets afterward is because they had too much to drink and they made a poor choice,” she said. “So I would really advise students to be careful with alcohol, other drugs, too. But alcohol is what a lot of times will get people into trouble.”

Spring break in particular is a time when many students let their guard down, said student Molly Maguire-Marshall.

“Partying and illicit sex. That is the stereotype of college kids on spring break,” she said. “I’m not saying that is true but people need to be careful and should be prepared.”

Maguire-Marshall said students aren’t aware of the severity their actions may have on their lives if they have unprotected sex.

People encounter STDs every day whether it is through a friend who has one or reading about it online, Maguire-Marshall said. But people are still afraid of the issue.

“I don’t know why people regard it as kind of a hush-hush thing or say that abstinence is the only way. It is not a good idea to pretend like it doesn’t happen,” she said. “Because let’s face it, a lot of college kids are having sex anyway, and so they should be informed and careful and prepared.”

Sexuality needs to be discussed among young people who are learning about their bodies, physician’s assistant Lawrence Carreon said.

It is important that young people are aware of their sexual development, psychologically and physically, he said.

“Sexuality is something that I think is very important, and very healthy to talk about — we just don’t do it enough,” he said. “Learning about sexuality and diseases and about relationships — I think it’s really important.”

But these are issues that need to be discussed before a person becomes sexually active, Carreon said.

“The more one learns about their own sexuality and anatomy I think the better equipped one is to decide what is safe and what is not safe,” he said.

But being armed with the information does not guarantee immunity from an STD, HIV-positive Jeremiah Vialpando said.

Vialpando was diagnosed in November 2004. He works with an organization, called Hope's Voice, to educate young people on HIV/AIDS prevention.

"People think that HIV and AIDS looks a certain way and people are pretty clueless when it comes to the disease," he said.

He said he had unprotected sex but knew the risk he took.

"I was a pretty promiscuous person, and I always had multiple sex partners, and I always had unprotected sex," he said.

Vialpando said he acquired the occasional STD through his sexual encounters but he never thought he would get HIV. But he was not surprised by the diagnosis the day he tested positive, he said.

Vialpando said the person who gave him the virus did not look sick and assured him unprotected sex would be safe.

The day he went in for testing Vialpando didn’t have any symptoms. But Spencer said some diseases don't always cause symptoms.

“Some of them can be what I call silent,” she said. “But just because you don't have any signs of symptoms, or your prospective partner does not show any signs, does not necessarily mean that they are not carrying something.”

Spencer said UNM does not have a higher rate of STDs than other universities but students should not let those statistics affect their behavior.

“STDs are passed through unprotected sex,” she said. “Contact. Skin to skin. Fluid to fluid. Anybody who has sex has a chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection.”

People that go to the Student Health Center for testing tend to be scared of the results, Spencer said. But it is normal for people to be worried about their status especially if they have had unprotected sex, she said.

Vialpando, 29, said before he was diagnosed with HIV he was tested every four to five months but waiting for the results was scary.

"A lot of people don’t want to know if they have HIV, unfortunately they would rather not know than to test positive," he said.

Spencer said regular testing is good but should not be used as the only method of prevention. Condoms can be used as a guard against STDs and pregnancy but there are no guarantees.

“Testing doesn't prevent disease and I think that is one common misconception here. People come in and say, ‘Yes I have risky behavior but I get tested all the time,’” she said. “That is a good thing if you have risky behavior; it is good you get tested all the time so that if you are positive you can get treated.”

People should not be afraid of the tests, Carreon said. They should be afraid of the STD.

“The symptoms with STDs, though often time STDs have no symptoms, they can be very uncomfortable,” he said. “I think in some cases more uncomfortable than the tests.”

Carreon said the tests are very accurate and have become easier and less invasive for both males and females.

Some testing can be done with as little as a urine sample, he said. A patient’s history guides doctors on what testing may be needed.

Spencer said many students take advantage of the opportunities available at the health center to get tested.

“The truth is that we get way more negative tests than positive. We do a lot of testing here, and most of them are negative,” she said. “Even if you have had an unprotected sex encounter, your chances of getting an STD are not that high.”

Spencer said she tries to reassure people by answering questions that they have, she said.

“Some people get very nervous about being tested whether they have symptoms or not,” she said. “One classic kind of nervous patient is someone who went out for spring break partied too hard, did something that they regret and they have a lot of guilt and a lot of fear around it.”

The fear of having an STD or being pregnant takes a big toll on people psychologically, Spencer said.

“They are terrified on that day, almost without fail they come in with sweaty palms,” she said. “A positive test is hard if a person has a sexually transmitted disease. A positive result is emotionally difficult for them.”

Treatable infections are hard to deal with emotionally because there is a stigma associated with STDs, Spencer said.

“From a doctor's perspective I see many of them as a disease, you take a pill, you get better,” she said. "It has nothing to do with morality or cleanliness you could have sex one time with one person in your life and get a disease. So we just try and make people feel more comfortable we try not to judge them."

If a patient appears to need more help, a physician may refer them to one of UNM's counseling and therapy departments, Spencer said.

Once the shock of the diagnosis settles it is important to learn how to deal with the disease, Vialpando said.

"HIV is a part of my life, and I deal with it," he said. "Ultimately I know that this disease is going to be the one that takes my life. I’m just trying to do things to prolong my life."

 

Written March 13, 2008

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