Promiscuity and selfishness are two factors that come to mind in association with relationships and sex, according to students.
In addition, students said disease, pregnancy and heartache are situations that many encounter when involved in a sexual relationship and individuals do not understand that sex is not just something you do to make people like or love you.
"I can’t have causal sex, because I get emotionally attached to people. Me being a female, I have a lot to worry about. Why should I put myself through the pain of being pregnant or having an incurable disease," said Quinique McKnight, a sophomore nursing major.
Many students have expressed their desire to engage in sexual activities and some said having sex is simply the next step after establishing any type of interest for one another.
For many students, like Danielle Sams, a junior psychology major, the term casual sex is misunderstood and it makes about as much sense as accidental sex. "Oops, sorry about that. I tripped onto your genitals," said Emmanuel Witzman staff writer of College Humor. "There is nothing casual about sex! I do not agree with the idea of having multiple partners, but people should take precautions when engaging in sexual activities. Sex should be a bond shared between two people that care about each other," said Sams.
Most college students on campus said they have no problems with casual sex and it is the individuals business. However, others said it is down right nasty and it leads to diseases and other emotional issues.
"Having sex, I feel, is your business with that person or persons you have sex with, but having sex does come with responsibilities and protection is important," said Tamara Allen, a criminal justice major at the University of Texas at Austin.
"Sex is okay as long as you wrap it up. Just have one partner and if an individual is having more than one partner that is nasty and that is how people catch STDs. I would not have more than one partner, but whatever floats your boat! I only have sex with my boyfriend, " said Koi Magee, a senior physical therapy major.
Scientists at Tulane University’s School of Public Health found that roughly three out of four people with HIV hide their situation from casual sex partners. According to researchers, by keeping quiet about their infections, they are putting many people at risk of contracting HIV.
"It’s really scary because so many of them have casual sex partners, and that’s what’s propelling the spread of the epidemic," said Patricia Kissinger, a Tulane University associate professor of epidemiology and the study’s senior author.
She said study participants were not asked whether they used condoms or practiced other safe sex measures, but past research has indicated that most do not.
"I found out this year that I have HIV and I still enjoy having sex, I mean who doesn’t. I do try to have protected sex, but sometimes things just happen. I do not always tell people who I engage in casual sex with that I have HIV, in fact if they don’t ask I do not tell," said anonymous student at Dillard University.
In other words, casual sex is now common for college students and many say it is a part of having fun in college, although others disagree and said they have fun doing other things besides having sex.
The distinction between dating and merely engaging in casual sex has been mistaken by some college students and many said their peers find it difficult to separate the two. In addition, students said even though a person’s sex life may not be anybody’s business, it becomes everybody’s business if an individual is not careful how they handle their sex life.
