By Itzel Chavero
The season of love is amongst us as chocolates, teddy bears, and red roses start appearing on store shelves once again as Valentine’s Day approaches us.
As it is the month of love, it is important for students to identify how to keep and maintain healthy relationships with significant others.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sexual health is not just simply about avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, but also cultivating a positive connection between sex and making sure it’s within a healthy relationship.
College is the most common time in which some people prioritize getting to know different people and casual dating.
Hookup culture is also something common in college journeys as many students look for a non-committed relationship. Like lone rangers, there are also those that carry long, committed relationships.
All three are part of the typical college experience when it comes to romance. However, regardless of what relationship you carry, it is crucial to take care of yourself and prioritize your needs.
Sophia Grallert, a member of Pillars, a health organization created to help communities with mental health issues, domestic violence, and sexual assault, discussed one of the main priorities in relationships: mutual respect.
She recognizes that being a young adult in college, especially in modern times relying with technology as a main communication channel, can mean falling into toxic traits in relationships easy.
“A lot of what we see when I go into high schools and colleges is [many] possessiveness through social media,” she explained. “That’s why it is important before you enter a relationship to communicate your boundaries.”
Grallert acknowledges things like maintaining your own independence, respecting boundaries, and maintaining equality and individuality are key factors to practice healthy dating.
In order to keep raising awareness on the green and red flags of relationships while still being young, Pillars is in collaboration with Dominican to offer behavioral and mental support but also prevention health education and sexual and domestic violence services.
One of the main goals of this partnership is to help students navigate through peer pressure and societal standards not only towards emotional relationships, but also sexual.
Although, countless norms and traditions can be harmful and are a reason why students are hesitant to learn about having a healthy sex life. While it’s recognized sex isn’t something easy to talk about, Grallert recommends relying on friends for questions or ideally the Wellness Center.
“Administration at the health center really care about the students and they’re trying everything they can to get [them] the resources they need,” she said.
Maintaining a health sexual life starts from educating into what benefits us as we carry healthy emotional relationships and stay informed on STD and STI’s prevention, pregnancy, and consent.
Resources on campus will always be available for students to access for free.
Grallert also encourages students to use local resources such as Planned Parenthood, 24/7 hotline support from RAINN, and Pillars.
As the time to fall in love comes in, it is also time to recognize how to foster healthy romantic relationships at a young age and take full advantage of the closest resources available on campus.
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