Safe sex practices often overlooked in spring break plans

Some but not all college students inform their friends of whether or not they plan to engage in sexual activity during spring break, a new University of Michigan study found.

Of the 650 college freshmen surveyed, 60 percent said that they had an understanding with their friends about drinking alcohol while on spring break, but more than half said that they did not have an understanding regarding sexual behavior.

Study results showed that while men were more likely to have agreements with friends based on risky behavior, women were more likely to agree upon safer behavior.

Four times more men than women reported having told friends that they planned to have sex with someone new, although men were also more likely to discuss using condoms if they did have sex.

Any sexually active individual who does not use condoms during intercourse can be at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

To help ensure the effectiveness of condoms against STDs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges users to put condoms on prior to any genital contact and to unroll the condom completely.

Individuals who believe they may have contracted an STD or who have had unprotected sex may consider using online testing services.