"Get Your Sexy Back"

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Peer Educators of Valencia Community College support safe sex. The students of the Winter Park campus came together Thursday, to bring awareness to the student body about the consequences unprotected sex may reap.

There were tables set up, laden with finger sandwiches and information packets. The girls even made a bouquet of roses out of unopened condom wrappers.

Some of the event goers held passionate beliefs on the uses of condoms and being careful with sexual partners, in general.

David Ives, a sophomore, said, "Sex is a very relative issue. It's better to show condoms and make them available, for health reasons, than to hide the fact altogether."

Having unprotected sex may lead to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women, and all sorts of other dismal acronyms. Not to mention, unexpected pregnancy.

"A lot of girls are uneducated. [They] disuse birth control. They think that's all they need," a student admitted.

The active ingredient that serves as a spermicide in birth control is nonoxynol-9. Although it is designed to serve as a barrier between the sperms' interaction with ovaries, it can't prevent bacteria from entering the body and wreaking havoc with the organ systems there.

The truth is, 90% of women infected with STDs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, have little or no symptoms. But, if treated promptly, antibiotics can help combat these diseases from spreading throughout the body.

The Peer Educators came up with the entire idea behind "Get Your Sexy Back" on their own. This is the first year that an event has been arranged to engage and encourage students to be aware of their decisions with sex.

Nikki Arnold, who was the head organizer, attributes most of her ideas for this event to the recent Bacchus conference for Peer Educators.

She and Sylvia Martinez, in charge of Student Development on campus, added a more Valentine's Day feel to the decorations and overall theme. The concept of the holiday mixed with all of its implications-relationship wise-seemed an appropriate approach, Nikki says.

Though, one freshman said he didn't attend the event necessarily for informational purposes:

"I like the candy, or edibles, that might be around," he said. "Free candy, that was the puller."

Previously published in the Valencia Voice