College Gloss: Safety 101

It’s officially the holiday season and gift giving is a major component of that. However, be careful of the gifts that you give this season. And yes, I mean that in a sexually suggestive way. Fall and winter or, “cuffing season,” as we like to call it at Hampton University, is the time for couples to cuddle up and spend time with each other. Have caution, there is nothing wrong with spending time with your boy in an extra romantic way, but just like his Christmas present, make sure you wrap it up!

It doesn’t matter if the two of you are committed and faithful to each other, use condoms! It doesn’t matter if you are on birth control, use condoms! And it doesn’t matter if it “feels better without it,” use condoms! Birth control is not the same thing as a condom; you can still catch a disease. Whatever excuses your boyfriend has to go without a condom, I can give you ten reasons to reject it. If the guy is really pressing the issue, then you probably shouldn’t be having sex with him anyway. Just like a woman, a man should know the importance of using condoms and want to protect himself.

Rodale reported that 53% of young adults in the United States are having unprotected sex. Having unprotected sex makes you more likely to succumb to sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia, Herpes, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis and AIDS. Is going without a condom worth the risk? I think not. If you are responsible enough to have sex, be responsible enough to know the risks that you are taking and how to prevent them.

Sex is not something that should be taken half-heartedly; it’s a serious matter. When you feel that you are ready, hopefully you and your guy discuss having sex before it happens. But if you haven’t talked, to prevent a, “it was spur of the moment and neither of us had one,” incident, I suggest that you keep some of your own. There are many different kinds of condoms, but any kind is better than none. Female condoms, flavored condoms, regular condoms – just pick one and use it!

While giving gifts this holiday season, remember to put your health first and wrap up the gifts! Don’t waste a few moments of pleasure for a lifetime of unhappiness because you were too embarrassed or scared to tell your guy to wrap it up. If you need help on how to approach your guy about wearing one, or if you have questions in general, Avert has all the information you need. Just remember, use caution when gift giving this holiday season!

By Olivia Lewis Image: Weheartit

Safety 101: Be Safe On Campus

As young women it is important to be aware of our surroundings and realize what is going on around us at all times. Young women take their safety for granted and don’t think about being safe and smart.

I recently moved into a small town home with my college roommate and we have been living quite comfortably for the past month. One night we came home from a seminar and sat on the couch in our living room to talk. For a moment my roommate looked up at the window and said, “Olivia, am I crazy or do you see something outside of the window?” Our windows were closed and the blinds were down, but as I looked up I could see a figure standing outside of our window. I saw the head of a man, his shoulders and part of his chest. We instantly began to scream and the figure moved from the window as we ran up the steps and into a bathroom upstairs. We called a male friend and told him to urgently come to the house. We also called our neighbors who live behind us to see if they could see anyone in our backyard. After a few jokes on their end of disbelief, a few minutes later they said they saw no one. Once our friend got there, he searched the house inside and out, looking for the man who had been peeking through our window. He could not find anyone either, but we called the police just to be safe anyway. Unfortunately, it took the police over two hours to come to our house and search the premises. The man was long gone.

But what if the mystery person had come closer and actually tried to get into the house? Would we have been able to stop him? It was one of the spookiest nights I have ever witnessed. The next day we put up a light for the back patio and hung curtains over our windows. The police have also put our house on a watch list. Even though the predator was only at our house for a few short minutes, you can never be too safe.

If anything, this experience has taught me to be extremely careful, and not allow myself to get too comfortable. Incidents happen to young women living alone all of the time. The more more safety precautions you take, the less chance you have of an incident occurring. Sporting goods stores have pepper spray for your keychain for just a few dollars. They even have ones that come in purple and pink! Be careful about having a routine, you never know who is watching so try to change it up sometimes. Keep outdoor lights on and try not to come home to a house in the dark. Also, it’s a good idea to have male visitors; they can be helpful if something really does happen. One last rule is to not walk alone. Creepers are everywhere and at night they get very bold. Overall, just be aware of your surroundings.

By: Olivia Lewis

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"Wrap It Up" This Holiday Season

Safety 101: Be Safe On Campus