By Bianca Garcia
SAN ANTONIO—Our Lady of the Lake University was founded in 1895 and fosters Catholic values and beliefs, but does that mean that every student that attends the campus is Catholic and also abides by the same ‘no sex before marriage’ rule?
“I am a Catholic and I attend a Catholic university, therefore I respect their decision to not provide condoms or birth-control, but students are going to have sex whether or not we tell them not to, why not provide condoms or birth-control,” Senior Teresa Rakay said.
Rakay has been working for the Office of Health Services since January 2015 and says no one has ever stopped by the office to ask for a safe-sex alternative, but said some students are often embarrassed to admit why they stopped at the office in the first place.
“Some kids are scared to ask for tampons or pads or to even tell us what they are coming into the office for (even if it is something as silly as diarrhea or constipation or vomiting), I doubt many will come in and ask for condoms,” Rakay said.
According to a Bustle articled, “Too Many College Students Never Use Condoms During Sex,” college students are especially vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases for lack of access to resources on campus, and a general reluctance to ask questions because of the taboo associated with sexual activity.
OLLU offers co-ed dorms and allows outside visitors to visit Sunday through Thursday before midnight and Friday through Saturday before 2 a.m. Visitors are also allowed to stay overnight with proper submission of paperwork.
A college setting provides students with an environment to be more exposed to sexual activity considering the campus is co-ed. The Cyber Café or “C” store, a 24/7 convenience store located near the dorms, offers a GNC performance and vitality pill that promotes sexual health, but offers no form of contraceptives to students.
Julie Stuckey, Doctor of Nursing Practice and Director of Health Services said the first part of all safe-sex recommendations is abstinence. Stuckey suggests abstinence prevents person-to-person transmission of disease and unplanned consequences.
“If an OLLU patient makes other decisions than the recommendations, they will be referred to the proper clinic who can perform specific laboratory tests for the condition or treatment,” said Stuckey.
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