Sexual Abstinence Comes in a Bag

Abstinence kits fly off the shelf here at the University of Connecticut.

"They were like hot cakes," said health education office coordinator Joleen Nevers.

The kits contain things like bubbles, puzzles, a nutrition bar and a list of ways to make love with someone without having intercourse.

Nevers initiated the abstinence kits at the education office after forming a focus group of students who were abstaining from sex. The group, though not representative of the whole campus, didn't seem to want or need a group formed specifically for abstaining students, but they did want some type of a support system.

"If that was the case, the office would gladly offer help, support and resources," said Nevers.

To do this, the health education office introduced abstinence kits, which are put together by students who work in the health education office. The kits are extremely popular, but their popularity is not representative of students abstaining from sex until marriage; religion is usually assumed to be the reason for abstaining.

"It may just be that they don't have a partner they want to express themselves with yet or that they want to focus on school. We have found that the majority of [abstaining] students have said they just don't want to have sex yet," said Nevers.

Hundreds of abstinence kits are stacked in the office, next to stacks of boxes of condoms and flavored lubricants. The health education office also supports students who choose to be sexually active. These students can come into the office and receive a free goodie bag of male or female condoms, dental dams and lube.

The health education office not only provides students with these preventative measures for free, it also offers programs educating students in safer sex, such as the Rubberwear program.

"The Rubberwear program is mostly for freshman; we promote safe sex and safer sexuality so we teach how to put on male and female condoms. Many freshmen come into college not knowing how to properly use them," said Danielle Cooney, a junior at UConn.

Cooney is a sexpert, which is a title given to students employed and specdially trained by the health education office in safe sexual methods and stress management. Sexperts, along with health education office staff members, provide programs such as Rubberwear by going to dorms or making themselves available at a table during campus events.

Another program offered is "Sex Jeopardy," which takes place during a First Year Experience (FYE) class. The program must be requested by the instructor and is set up like Jeopardy; the class is split into teams and questions are about sexually transmitted diseases and safe sex methods.

These programs help educate students on safer sex and their sexuality while letting them know there are resources available to them.

"We have a presence on campus so students know we're available to them," said Nevers.

"Because everyone's a sexual being, whether they choose to express it or not."