Where
is the book that says a male must be sexually promiscious in order to be a man? That question has befuddled me since I entered my junior year.
I can’t lie, though. My freshman and sophomore years my hormones reached a high that I didn’t know they were capable of. The male to female ratio at FAMU didn’t help any.
You have to reach a point, though, where you get your priorities straight. Being a male – especially a young, black male – does not give you free reign to chase after every attractive sister.
Plus, promiscuity has its consequences. Sexually transmitted diseases are affecting males more than females, and the statistics especially don’t fare well for black males. There is a better avenue my brothers, simply protect yourself.
The Center for Disease Control presented a statistic that confused me.
According to the CDC, only 30-45 percent of men use condoms for every act of intercourse. Also, those who do use condoms may use them incorrectly.
Now, this made me upset at my own gender. How long does it take to find a condom wherever you are? Five maybe 10 minutes? I promise you, the female will understand the need for you two to protect yourselves. If she doesn’t understand that, my brother, you need to roll on!
Those condoms are a useful tool if you’ve made up your mind that you’re gong to have sex.
Studies from the National Institution of Health report that condoms are strong instruments in protection from STDs, especially HIV/AIDS and gonorrhea, two diseases that are strongly affecting the African-American community.
The United Nations released a study last December that shows there are an estimated 147,000 young people in the United States with AIDS. One hundred thousand of them are men. That number includes black males who walk around not knowing they have a disease Thus leading me to my final point.
According to the Black Health Network, African-American men are less likely than are white men to receive medication that could effectively treat HIV/AIDS.
Our race cannot afford to lose more young men, especially when their deaths can be easily prevented. Just take a few minutes to show some discretion and use protection. It can mean the difference between life and death.
Also, don’t be niave and try to ignore any problems you know might exist. Please, get tested! Handle your business, brothers. Peace.
Antione Davis, 20, is a junior newspaper journalism student from Tampa. He can be reached at aldavis03@hotmail.com. He serves as the Opinions Editor.