People make lots of decisions about their sexuality during college, including whether to abstain from sexual intercourse or to become, or to continue being sexually active. Other sexuality issues that decisions are made about are the gender of partners, the type of contraception to use, and the intensity of the relationships. You should never let others pressure you into having sex if you don’t want to. It should always be your decision to have sex. This goes for the first time, and every time.
What do I need to know if I'm sexually active, or if I'm thinking about becoming sexually active?
- Affirmative consent must be given before engaging in ANY sexual act.
- Before you decide to have a sexual relationship, you should talk with your partner and then decide if the decision is right for you.
- Make sure to ask about your partner’s sexual history, including if they have been exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Get tested for STIs such as HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, but remember – there are other STIs too.
- Discuss whether you or your partner plan on having sex with other people. Remember, the risk of getting an STI or a virus that can cause cancer or AIDS is increased if you or your partner have sexual intercourse with other people. The more partners, the greater the risk of getting an STI.
- The only way to completely prevent getting an STI is to be abstinent (not have sex).
- If you’re sexually active, the best way to avoid getting any STIs is to have sex with only one person who has never been exposed to an STI, and use a condom every time you have sex – from start to finish. Birth control pills, injections, and IUDs do not prevent STIs. If you are going to have sex, use condoms to prevent STIs.
- Talk to your partner about birth control: If you’re engaging in sexual activity that can result in pregnancy, consider exploring birth control options (condoms, birth control pills, hormone injections, IUDs, implants) and also think about what you would do if it failed.
Online ordering
Any Binghamton University student can order free safer sex and/or menstrual products by visiting our online ordering sytem. If you live on campus, you can order free safer-sex supplies online to be delivered to your campus mailbox.
