Spring Break is only a few weeks away and you can hardly wait. Last year's break, those were some good times. At least, most of them were. As you pull out your photo album, you're reminded of a few incidents that weren't quite so enjoyable. As you think about it, you don't know why you did some of those things. Behaving that way was totally out of character for you. What is it about Spring Break that made you take such risks?

"People seem to think that Spring Break means a break from responsibility," says Sarai, a 21-year-old senior at the University of California at Berkley who's seen many young people take risks on Spring Break over the years. Many of her peers, says Sarai, are under the false impression that "just one time" of risky (unprotected) sex "won't hurt"-i.e., increase their chances of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or unplanned pregnancy.

Twenty-year-old Justin, a University of Arizona student who went to Cancun for Spring Break last year, believes that "outlandish behavior" on break "comes from a mix of alcohol, rebellion, and a care-free attitude."


Reality Check
Justin's three ingredients are the perfect recipe for jeopardizing your sexual health. And the truth is: any sexual risks you take during Spring Break can increase your chances of acquiring an STD, having a pregnancy scare, or actually getting pregnant.

So, if you're one of the thousands of young people headed for Spring Break this year, check out these sexual-health safety tips from Jane Bogart, MA, CHES, director of the Center for Health Promotion at the New York University Health Center.


One Too Many
Alcohol-especially the excessive amounts often consumed during Spring Break-can definitely hinder your ability to make healthy sexual decisions. And young people who drink may be more likely than those who don't to "participate in high-risk sexual activity, such as unprotected sexual intercourse or multiple sexual partners," according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Alcohol is often used as a 'social lubricant,' because it's perceived to dis-inhibit or make people less shy or uncomfortable about being sexual," explains Bogart. But perceptions can be deceiving. In reality, alcohol impairs judgment (think of "beer goggles") and actually makes it difficult, if not impossible, for people to have "consensual sex," says Bogart.

She adds that the more drunk you are, "the more impaired your consent is and the less likely you are to have a positive experience. … Usually people who've had sex while drunk don't remember, or they regret what was done."

Alcohol can also interfere with your ability to use protection the right way. Bogart explains that it impairs coordination, which makes putting on a condom correctly much more difficult.

"It can be hard enough to remember all of the steps and figure out the correct way to roll the condom down when you're sober and in a well-lit room-but throw in darkness and an inability to see or walk straight and you've got a recipe for a condom catastrophe. The condom is more likely to rip or tear, or be put on inside out or not rolled down all the way to the base of the penis, etc.," says Bogart.

Bogart adds that alcohol is also involved in a large number of sexual assaults. Women are usually the victims of sexual assaults, and "alcohol is the number-one date-rape drug, although date rape drugs, such as Roofies and GHB, are often put in drinks," she says.


Party Responsibly
So, how can you deal with the perils of alcohol intake over Spring Break? Set limits and understand your boundaries, explains Bogart. She advises Spring-Break revelers to "take some time to prepare for what you think you may encounter and decide how you'll handle those situations. If you're going away with friends, try to have a discussion with them before you go about how much responsibility you will take for one another," she says.

For example, asks Bogart, if one of you is drinking and flirting with someone and the others want to go back to the hotel, do you want them to leave you there alone, wait for you, or take you with them? In other words, look out for each other, and, most importantly, don't leave anyone behind.

It is important to remember that nothing stands between you and a dangerous situation except the decisions you make. One of the best ways to stay safe is to not drink or use any drugs at all.


No Glove, No Love-Period
Before you run off to Spring Break, check in with yourself on the reality of STDs. Because contrary to popular belief, what happens in Cancun doesn't always stay in Cancun, and if you get an STD on Spring Break, you will take it home with you. If you choose not to abstain from oral, vaginal, or anal sex, then you must use protection.

Condoms are your best bet against transmitting most-but not all-STDs and at preventing unplanned pregnancy. Need to improve your contraceptive know-how? Read more here.

Before heading off to Spring Break, learn about STDs and their signs and symptoms, but remember that some have no signs and symptoms. Bogart advises you learn about which STDs can be transmitted from skin-to-skin contact, and why a condom won't necessarily protect you in some cases. Learn about oral transmission of STDs, and cold sores on someone's lip (i.e., they're herpes and can be transmitted to your genitals). Get an STD brush-up here.


Back It Up!
Young women may also want to have emergency contraception (EC) on hand, in case of a pregnancy scare after unprotected sex. Emergency contraception is up to 88% effective at preventing pregnancy if a woman takes it within three days (or 72 hours) of unprotected intercourse or a contraceptive failure (like a condom breaking).

You need a prescription to get EC in every state except Alaska, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Washington. In those states, you can get it directly from some pharmacists. If you live in a state where you need a prescription, Bogart advises young women to "ask your medical provider to prescribe it before you go on Spring Break-just in case." For more info, call the EC Hotline at 1-888-NOT-2-LATE (668-2523) or click here.


Slow It Down
Spring Break is definitely a time to follow the motto, "Better safe than sorry." Sometimes that can be hard-especially when you're around thousands of other students in a party atmosphere that glorifies sex. But not everyone on Spring Break is having tons of sex or has even had sex.

"There's an expectation-perpetuated by the media and other students-that Spring Break is one big drunken orgy, but for most students, that just isn't true. That's just what's most visible and most talked about," says Bogart.

"How often do you hear someone brag about what a great Spring Break they had 'cause they were sober and didn't have sex?! If more people bragged about it, more people would feel comfortable with their decisions to drink in moderation and abstain or practice safer sex."

Sarai adds that "we're not in high school anymore," and if you want to abstain from sex, alcohol, and drugs during Spring Break, do so.

"Grow up and get over what others think. They won't have to live with HIV if you get infected, or father a child or get pregnant. … Think about saying 'no,' even when wasted. It could save your life."

Everyone knows, you're supposed to have a good time during Spring Break. At clubs, parties, the beach-whatever your thing is, you're set to have a blast. But having fun does not mean you need to forget your values, common sense, health and safety.

"Partying and relaxing are okay, as long as you set some limits," says Sarai. "Keep it simple," advises Justin. "Don't do anything you wouldn't do at home."


*Additional reporting by SEX, ETC. national correspondent Talia Coutin, 17, of Upland, CA.


Élan Jade Jones, 17, of Ewing, NJ, is an editor for SEX, ETC., the national newsletter and Web site written by teens, for teens, on sexual health issues, published by the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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