If you have a daughter or any women friends in college, you might want to alert them to a recent study of the American Medical Association. The Washington Post reports in an AP story:
The American Medical Association is warning girls not to go wild
during spring break. All but confirming what goes on in those "Girls
Gone Wild" videos, 83 percent of college women and graduates surveyed
by the AMA said spring break involves heavier-than-usual drinking, and
74 percent said the break results in increased sexual activity.The women’s answers were based both on firsthand experience and the experiences of friends and acquaintances.
Sizable numbers reported getting sick from drinking, and 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.
Fascinating, isn’t it? Who knew? What would we do without the AMA? So be sure and tell any women that you know. Spring break can be hazardous to your health. You see, it is a health issue:
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, Dr. J. Edward Hill, AMA’s president,
said Tuesday.
Pretty sexist remark bordering on the patriarchal but I’ll take it as true for now. The AP story did quote one woman who was a little less than impressed with the value of the AMA’s findings and advice. I have to wonder whether she’s an econ major with a respect for consumer sovereignty:
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.’"
