I would like to note that this column is not meant to place blame on Fairfield University or its Catholic tradition. I understand that Fairfield follows the traditions of the Catholic Church; but these are simply some of my liberal ramblings.
It’s no secret that condoms are not available on campus, nor is it a secret that homosexuality and masturbation are prohibited by the Catholic Church.
Fairfield students are all about 18 to 22-years-old. If at 18 we are old enough to be legally responsible for our actions, shouldn’t we be trusted to make our own sexual decisions?
I checked a number of Web sites, and the average age that girls reach puberty is 11-years-old, and boys around 12-years-old. Adolescence is said to end around 18 to 20 years old for both sexes. From what I can gather, as college students, we have reached the time in our lives when we are biologically programmed to be sexually active.
However, I’m not implying that people should be going around sleeping with whoever they feel like. The risks of AIDS and STDs are simply too high to act like this. I’m just saying that we should be given the means and knowledge to act in a responsible manner.
Are there reasons for limiting sexual behavior of Fairfield students to the point of refusing them common means of birth control on campus? Maybe the university is just trying to prevent unplanned pregnancy and STDs. However, by denying students condoms and birth control to a demographic who are biologically programmed to be sexual, isn’t the university increasing those risks?
Students can drive down the block to CVS or Stop and Shop and get all the condoms and birth control they could ever want. But one quarter of Fairfield students are not allowed to have cars on campus, and let’s admit it, there are definitely times when birth control is needed faster than a trip on the campus shuttle can take someone.
Instead of hoping the denial of birth control will lead to prevention, perhaps it would be better to make students more aware of how to be safe and protect themselves. The truth is, students aren’t just going to stop having sex because the university isn’t supplying protection.
AmericanCatholic.com and the Catechism of the Catholic Church reported that the act of masturbation, in which no means of birth control is necessary, is an “intrinsically and gravely disordered sin.”
So here we are, 18 to 22-years-old, not allowed to have heterosexual sex, homosexual sex or masturbate. Looks like we’d better hope for four years of really great TV because we’re sure going to need something to keep our minds off sex.
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