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Condom machines on college campuses
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENTHEALTH CARE 1989;10:582-584
PETER A. LEE,
.D.,
Ph.D.,
AND DANIEL
What affect, if any, does the installation of oncampus condom machines by colleges and universiues have on the sexual and moral behavior of American college students? Most concerned adults wonder if the presence of a condom machine on campus condones or encourages casual sex-even if the aim is to prevent the spread of disease and pregnancy, and even though the majority of students have already experienced intercourse. Traditionally the role of colleges has been viewed as partially parental, with an attempt to provide some moral guidance. Can the decision to place condom machines in resident halls be interpreted as an objective attempt to prevent disease? The idea of condom machines on the campus is nothing new. In Europe, condoms have been available by vending machines on college campuses for a decade or more. RecentIy, condom vending machines have also been installed on several college and university campuses in the United States in hopes of encouraging safe sex and preventing sexually transmitted diseases, especiallyacquired immunodeficiencysyndrome (AIDS). Some expressed concern that this may influencethe moral behavior of studentsor carry the connotationthat the schools are encouragingsexual activity. To explore this issue, specific questions were asked of the on-campus resident male and female studentson a smallregional campus of a large Eastem university where condom machines were installed at the beginningof the 1987 school year. A written questionnaire, anonymous and voluntary, was filled out and returned by 38 males and 49 Fnnathe Depmtmentof Pediatrics,University of Pittsburgh School
OfibfediCi?tt?, Childrm’s HospitaZ of sylmnia. Address
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Penn-
reprint quests to: Peter A. Lee, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, One Children’s Place, 3705 Fifth Avenue at DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3417. Manwl+pt accepted May 25, 1989. 582 0197oo1o1(193.50
L. LEE
Table 1. Reason(s) for First Having Sexual Intercourse Males”
Females Condom machines
Talked into it by partner To prove something to self To prove something to peers Availability of condoms or other contraceptives To fulfill urges and desires To see what it was like To express love to partner
After
Before condom machines
Before (n=39)
(n=4)
13
0
2
3 1
1 0
4 2
1 14 13 19
0 0 0 3
1 22 17 11
(n=29)
“No males first had intercourse after installation of condom machines.
female students (32% of the resident student population). Responses to the following questions were assessed: Have you ever had sexual intercourse? If yes, before or after September 1987 (beginning of school year and date of machine installation)? Current sexual activity (times in last month)? Total number of partners in lifetime? Options could be selected for the reason(s) for first sexual intercourse, use and types of contraception, and feelings about the influence of the availability of birth control information and devices. Students were asked if they ever bought condoms from the machineson campus and, if so, if they had used them. Six female students reported never having had intercourse and never purchasing a condom from the campus machine. Thirty-nine reported having had intercourse before coming to campus in the fall of 1987. Reported reasons for first intercourse are shown in Table 1. Number of lifetime partners ranged from one for six surveyed, to more than 10 for seven of the females. The mean number of part-
Q Societyfor AdolescentMedicine, 1989 Published by Eisevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 655 Avenue of the ~~~~ericas, New York, NY 10010
November 1
First intercourse in relatioonto e installa Female Male Before (i2=39)
After (n=4)
(n=29)
Having intercourse when wodd have otherwise
waited until marriage at a younger age Implication that society condones teenage sex &uble message concerning sexual behavior No influence on sexual activity No influence on moral standards
2 6
0 1
0 6
0
0
5
0 29 16
1 3 3
3 21 I.8
‘No males t%st had intercourse after condom machine installation.
re are two questions direct@ s small survey. Do
mes were msta of condom ma
active (intercowrse
s were installed,two intercoursesince sons are listed in Table 1. One was a freshman, two and one was a Senior. Two ha
campus and two had used them. The perceived effect of birth control informationand availabilityon sexual activity as judged by the females is shown in
they had ~.phased
a condom(s) from the ma-
responding and is not a high percentage. Two further observations can be made based on students’ comments. First, condoms are more expensive when purchased from machines. Second, the primary reason the students saw for the machines was convenience; this factor might encourage situations where unprotected inter-
reasons for their first intercourse(Table1). Only two
LEEANDLEE
of the female responders considered birth control information and availability to have influenced their &cisioq to have intercourse tihen otherwise they wo-uld have waited until marriage. Five males indicated birth control availabiky implied to them that society condones teenage sex. However, for the vast tijority of the students surveyed, the condom machines do not influence sexual behavior. The students also do not seem to feel the school is condoning promiscuous behavior by placing condom machines on campus. Judging from.the survey, a student’s sexual behavior and morals are well established before the student enters college. Even though responding anonymously, students may not be completely honest in their response, and the sexual behavior of the students surveyed may not represent those of the average college student. The decision of whether to place condom machines on a college campus, we believe, should be based on a desire to prevent the spread of
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
Vol. IO, No. 6
other sexually transmitted &sea rence of pregnancy. The limited vey do not suggest that encourages sexual activity or influences the moral behavior of students, but rather that we should be reajistic about the sexual behavior of a
that casual sex is of the unrealistic portrayid consequences of sexual intimacy without co ment. Furthermore, it appears, in spite of the condom machines on campuses, a relatively percentage of students, especially males, do no ularly use contraception. Thus, although condqm machines do not appear to do any harm, they also do not appear to accomplish their moting safe sex.
PETER A. LEE,
.D.,
Ph.D.,
AND DANIEL
What affect, if any, does the installation of oncampus condom machines by colleges and universiues have on the sexual and moral behavior of American college students? Most concerned adults wonder if the presence of a condom machine on campus condones or encourages casual sex-even if the aim is to prevent the spread of disease and pregnancy, and even though the majority of students have already experienced intercourse. Traditionally the role of colleges has been viewed as partially parental, with an attempt to provide some moral guidance. Can the decision to place condom machines in resident halls be interpreted as an objective attempt to prevent disease? The idea of condom machines on the campus is nothing new. In Europe, condoms have been available by vending machines on college campuses for a decade or more. RecentIy, condom vending machines have also been installed on several college and university campuses in the United States in hopes of encouraging safe sex and preventing sexually transmitted diseases, especiallyacquired immunodeficiencysyndrome (AIDS). Some expressed concern that this may influencethe moral behavior of studentsor carry the connotationthat the schools are encouragingsexual activity. To explore this issue, specific questions were asked of the on-campus resident male and female studentson a smallregional campus of a large Eastem university where condom machines were installed at the beginningof the 1987 school year. A written questionnaire, anonymous and voluntary, was filled out and returned by 38 males and 49 Fnnathe Depmtmentof Pediatrics,University of Pittsburgh School
OfibfediCi?tt?, Childrm’s HospitaZ of sylmnia. Address
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Penn-
reprint quests to: Peter A. Lee, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, One Children’s Place, 3705 Fifth Avenue at DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3417. Manwl+pt accepted May 25, 1989. 582 0197oo1o1(193.50
L. LEE
Table 1. Reason(s) for First Having Sexual Intercourse Males”
Females Condom machines
Talked into it by partner To prove something to self To prove something to peers Availability of condoms or other contraceptives To fulfill urges and desires To see what it was like To express love to partner
After
Before condom machines
Before (n=39)
(n=4)
13
0
2
3 1
1 0
4 2
1 14 13 19
0 0 0 3
1 22 17 11
(n=29)
“No males first had intercourse after installation of condom machines.
female students (32% of the resident student population). Responses to the following questions were assessed: Have you ever had sexual intercourse? If yes, before or after September 1987 (beginning of school year and date of machine installation)? Current sexual activity (times in last month)? Total number of partners in lifetime? Options could be selected for the reason(s) for first sexual intercourse, use and types of contraception, and feelings about the influence of the availability of birth control information and devices. Students were asked if they ever bought condoms from the machineson campus and, if so, if they had used them. Six female students reported never having had intercourse and never purchasing a condom from the campus machine. Thirty-nine reported having had intercourse before coming to campus in the fall of 1987. Reported reasons for first intercourse are shown in Table 1. Number of lifetime partners ranged from one for six surveyed, to more than 10 for seven of the females. The mean number of part-
Q Societyfor AdolescentMedicine, 1989 Published by Eisevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 655 Avenue of the ~~~~ericas, New York, NY 10010
November 1
First intercourse in relatioonto e installa Female Male Before (i2=39)
After (n=4)
(n=29)
Having intercourse when wodd have otherwise
waited until marriage at a younger age Implication that society condones teenage sex &uble message concerning sexual behavior No influence on sexual activity No influence on moral standards
2 6
0 1
0 6
0
0
5
0 29 16
1 3 3
3 21 I.8
‘No males t%st had intercourse after condom machine installation.
re are two questions direct@ s small survey. Do
mes were msta of condom ma
active (intercowrse
s were installed,two intercoursesince sons are listed in Table 1. One was a freshman, two and one was a Senior. Two ha
campus and two had used them. The perceived effect of birth control informationand availabilityon sexual activity as judged by the females is shown in
they had ~.phased
a condom(s) from the ma-
responding and is not a high percentage. Two further observations can be made based on students’ comments. First, condoms are more expensive when purchased from machines. Second, the primary reason the students saw for the machines was convenience; this factor might encourage situations where unprotected inter-
reasons for their first intercourse(Table1). Only two
LEEANDLEE
of the female responders considered birth control information and availability to have influenced their &cisioq to have intercourse tihen otherwise they wo-uld have waited until marriage. Five males indicated birth control availabiky implied to them that society condones teenage sex. However, for the vast tijority of the students surveyed, the condom machines do not influence sexual behavior. The students also do not seem to feel the school is condoning promiscuous behavior by placing condom machines on campus. Judging from.the survey, a student’s sexual behavior and morals are well established before the student enters college. Even though responding anonymously, students may not be completely honest in their response, and the sexual behavior of the students surveyed may not represent those of the average college student. The decision of whether to place condom machines on a college campus, we believe, should be based on a desire to prevent the spread of
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
Vol. IO, No. 6
other sexually transmitted &sea rence of pregnancy. The limited vey do not suggest that encourages sexual activity or influences the moral behavior of students, but rather that we should be reajistic about the sexual behavior of a
that casual sex is of the unrealistic portrayid consequences of sexual intimacy without co ment. Furthermore, it appears, in spite of the condom machines on campuses, a relatively percentage of students, especially males, do no ularly use contraception. Thus, although condqm machines do not appear to do any harm, they also do not appear to accomplish their moting safe sex.