Sex

We were not at all surprised that a study commissioned by Trojan ranked Duke a measly 41st out of 141 universities in a sexual health report card. While we cannot comment on the methodology of the study or its accuracy, we strongly agree with its lead researcher, Bert Sperling, who noted that Duke does not have enough awareness outreach programs regarding sex and sexual health. The lack of campus dialogue surrounding sex leads to a number of negative consequences. Specifically, a lack of dialogue leaves students grossly misperceiving common sexual behavior at Duke, flooded with stories about sex portrayed solely in a negative light and, especially for women, questioning their self-worth or the validity of their sexual decisions.

The Duke Social Relationships Project, released earlier this year, found that over 70 percent of single Duke students expressed a desire to be dating more. The authors argued that their results “present a picture of social life at Duke that is discrepant from common perceptions.” Specifically, according to the study, nearly 50 percent of all students do not hook-up on a regular basis. These numbers surprise us in part because we do not discuss sex openly on a regular basis, leaving Duke students to guess what their peers are actually doing (say, hooking up) without having an understanding of what common sexual behavior actually is. Further discussion might allow students to find like-minded peers with similar desires, correcting long-standing myths about sex at Duke.

More importantly, the vast majority of public dialogue about sex on campus is negative. Sadly, sexual misconduct is a serious problem at Duke, and thus much of what appears about sex on these pages or in daily conversation comes in a negative light. But the vast majority of sex at Duke is fortunately consensual and even enjoyable, and a truly sex-positive campus would celebrate this fact. If Duke were to approach sex dialogue more proactively, students would have a rare opportunity to discuss sex in a positive, constructive way. This is especially important given that sex requires informed decision-making—the answer is not to shun all talk of sex for fear of making things awkward, but rather to talk about it openly. Only when students feel comfortable talking about sex in a positive way can students really make proper decisions about it.

Finally, we have particular concern about self-worth issues surrounding sex, especially amongst women. A serious double standard exists when it comes to sexual behavior in our society: promiscuous men are heralded as studs, while women who do the same thing are called sluts. This kind of nonsense exists primarily because female sexuality—encompassing everything from female orgasm to female masturbation—remains taboo. Continued silence results in antiquated stereotypes being promulgated even in 2012.

Trojan’s study revolved around protection, which we agree is incredibly important. But we also see benefits to talking about sex more generally. The One Sexy Week program currently in the works—slated to take place in February—is a good start, promising to touch on topics including LGBT sex, contraception and more. Silence on sex breeds an unhealthy culture of sexuality on campus. It’s high time we start talking about it more.