admin @ Wed, 2006-03-08 09:00
All but confirming what goes on in those "Girls Gone Wild" videos, 83 percent of college women and graduates surveyed by the AMA said that spring break involves heavier-than-usual drinking, and 74 percent said the trips result in increased sexual activity.
Sizable numbers reported getting sick from drinking, blacking out and engaging in unprotected sex or sex with more than one partner, activities that increase their risks for sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
The AMA is trying to call attention to underage drinking among women because their bodies process alcohol differently and put them at greater risk for health problems, J. Edward Hill, AMA's president, said Tuesday.
Kathleen Fitzgerald, a 21-year-old junior at Illinois State University, said the AMA's effort to raise awareness is a good idea, but probably won't do much to curb drinking during spring break.
"I think a lot of students wouldn't really pay that much attention to it," Fitzgerald said. "They would just be like, ‘Duh, that's why we do it.' "
The AMA said the findings highlight the need for alternative spring break activities. For example, the University of Nebraska, Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and the University of Wisconsin offer spring break "service" trips.
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