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Show OPINIONS From A6 "3LURRED LINES" to "Fifty Shades of Grey" The Wart files By Joshua Wartena Opinions Editor joshua.wartena@ gmail.com Well, Utah County • Universities ranked lowest on the Trojan Sexual Health Report this year, again. UVU ranked in the bottom fifteen, and BYU came in almost dead last, for the third year in a row. Yup, the school where extramarital sex can lead to expulsion is apparently the least sexually healthy in the nation. The problem with Trojan's report is how they are ranking schools. I would expect sexual health across a student body to be graded according to STD prevalence, average sexual partners per student, average marital age, contraceptive use and things relating to health. Trojan doesn't look at any of those categories. The "study" grades according to such categories as health care services on campus, sexual assault programs and condom availability. The school gets extra points if condoms are available for free on campus and if there is a sponsored "sex week," full of sex-education activities and the like. The student opinion of sexual education on campus and accessibility of the health center web site even boosts Trojan's ranking. Now, I'm not a prude, but I am a realist. I don't think a campuswide sex week does too much for sexual health. Trojan, America's number one condom brand, is not really trying to let us know who is the healthiest. They want to make money; the more people have sex using their condomsz, the more money they make. Of course schools that provide free condoms get extra points. If GMC sponsored a study that showed the safest SUV drivers drive Yukons, we would recognize this as the PR stunt it is. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the schools with the highest ranking provide free Trojan condoms in their health centers. I'll go out on another limb and say BYU and UVU are some of the healthiest universities, sexually speaking, in the nation. This of course isn't to say BYU students aren't having any hanky panky, but I'm sure it's much less than most universities. Honestly, if you aren't having sex, you're pretty sexually healthy. And BYU and UVU students are overwhelmingly LDS, a religion with specific guidelines about getting it on. Now, sexual health and sexual violence are serious issues. Sexually-transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, pornography, sexual assault and sexual ignorance are problems that deserve attention. Unfortunately, we seem to approach sex with trepidation, fear, embarrassment and repulsion. I've been in history, biology and communication classes when the professor brings up something related to sex. Without fail, the room gets quiet, and students become visibly uncomfortable. Guess what, you exist because your parents conceived you; they had sex. You have a vested interest in this topic. Grow up and get over it. We can't shy away from talking about sex because it makes us feel uncomfortable. At some point, we need to grow up and stop treating sex like we're tittering 12-year-olds. The sooner we can be responsible adults and bring sexual issues to center stage and have real conversations, the sooner we can improve. We don't need a sex week on campus; we don't need crude indifference to everything sexual; and we really don't need immature students who can't say "sex" without blushing. Ultimately, Trojan's study doesn't matter. What we choose to do as a community and how we approach issues does matter. Check out anti-pornography campaigns; educate yourself on STDs; if you have regular extra-marital sex, do so safely; and if you have been a victim of sexual abuse and need help, talk to someone you trust or a professional. • CD 0- O DJ CD O O 0 4 3 OUT OF EVERY 100 RAPES STATISTICS PROVIDED BY RAINN.ORG//GRAPHIC BY TARA MENDENHAL Rape culture persists in pop culture By Brittany Plothow Opinions Writer @brittanyplo "Fifty Shades of Grey" is a New York Times best seller and is the best selling paperback of all time, beating out the beloved "Harry Potter" series. And that is what is wrong with the world. "Fifty Shades," which has been described as "mommy porn" and "erotic romance," is the story of a 21-year old virgin, Anastasia, who agrees to a purely sexual relationship, contracts included, with the S&M-obsessed Christian Grey. The author of the series, E. L. James has been listed as one of the most influential people in the world. That is embarrassing. Influence is a powerful thing. Is Miss James using her influence for good, and whom is she influencing? She is influencing a generation of women to fantasize and embrace being sexually submissive and dominated by men. Supporters of the "Fifty Shades" franchise argue that it liberates women sexually. That it opens a door for them to explore their sexuality. In an excerpt straight from the book, Grey ties Anastasia's arms to his bed and tells her if she struggles he will tie her feet as well. That sounds like anything but sexual freedom. That sounds like rape. The book series is not only poorly written and overly sexualized but also offensive in perpetuating rape culture. Wearside Women in Need, a charity in Washington helping victims of sexual and physical assault, asked for copies of the book and RAPE A7 Thanksgiving morning, just before dawn, the substitution was made. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE WIGGINS |