Sexual health is something students might not always think about. However, a decline in the amount of unplanned pregnancies and a renewed interest in proactive sexual education indicate that people are taking their health into their own hands.
“Sexual health matters to all of us, whether we talk about it openly or not,” said a Department of Health spokesperson. “Sexual and reproductive health is a core aspect of our identity and an important part of health and well-being throughout the life cycle.”
A greater concern for health, advancements in technology and shifts in societal norms have all had a strong effect on the steady decrease in unplanned pregnancies. Since 1990, the rate of teen pregnancy has dropped, according to a study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute. In 1995, 19 percent of females and 21 percent of males had engaged in sexual intercourse before 15 years old. Now, those numbers have dropped to 11 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
“Two generations ago, our grandparents only had the pill as a preventative measure,” said Chico Jensen, sexual health and sexual violence risk reduction coordinator for Purdue Student Health. “But there was human error, people would forget to take the (birth control pills).”
Jensen explained that schools are shifting away from abstinence-only approaches in regards to sexual education. In taking this approach, Jensen said many schools missed an opportunity to provide students with valuable information. When he started working for Purdue answering questions about sexual health, he got questions such as, “Is it possible to get pregnant from a blowjob?”
“I got questions like that from students attending a major science and research institution,” Jensen said. “For me, that was a failure of (middle and high) schools.”
With changes being made to the sexual education system and the passing of the Affordable Care Act, these upward trends in sexual education have the potential to continue through the upcoming decade.
“I believe the next generation will be even more protected from unplanned pregnancy,” Jensen said. “There will always be people that will take care of their health.”