UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 08, 2026

Month: January 2013

Students polled; majority say sex column OK

by Heather DakePosted on

Dixie Sun News’ newest column is touchy in more ways than one. 

After the first publication of “Erotic Topic,” DSN received positive and negative responses concerning the column. 

Some people praised it, while others demanded it be discontinued.

DSN wanted to know what its readers thought about the publication of a biweekly column on the topic of sex. 

200 students were asked what they thought about having a sex column in the college publication. 

Students were asked if they thought it was a good idea, if they thought it was a good idea but did not like the name of the column, if they thought it was a good idea but needed a different writer, or if they thought the whole column was unnecessary and should be taken out of the college publication.  

Of the 200 people surveyed, 139 were in favor of the sex column; 41 liked the column but not the name of it; 12 said they were against the author’s views on sex; leaving the last eight to be against the article in its entirety. 

Zach Smith, a freshman general education major from West Jordan, said he liked the idea of talking about sex in a college setting.

“We all know what’s happening with students behind closed doors,” Smith said. “Why keep it a secret? It’s one of the topics I know I would actually read.”

Smith also said he thinks it will be a useful article for students with questions.

“Everyone knows it’s a touchy subject, and that’s why it is causing so many problems,” Smith said. “I think the article can clear up any questions or thoughts people might have involving the topic.”

Others who were in favor of the column said it was because of the actual subject itself. Hanna Condie, a freshman biology major from West Valley, said she reads it for comedic relief.

“It brings all of the things I like to read about into a local setting,” Condie said. “I’m the kind of person who reads Cosmo just to laugh at it, and that’s what this article is doing. It is making a touchy subject laughable, even for people who have never had sex.”

Even though some students agreed with author’s stance on the column, they did not agree with the name.

Michaelynn Tervort, a sophomore general education major from Richfield, said the name is catching people off guard.

“The word ‘erotic’ just seems more dirty than the word ‘sex’,” Tervort said. “The content of the article was less than erotic, so I think the only reason people have a problem with the column is because of the name.”

However, there were students who did have an issue.

Logan Wongsuwan, a freshman general education major from Kearns, said he had no problem with the idea of the column, but the article itself was not written up to his standards.

“I felt like it was poorly written,” Wongsuwan said. “The idea of it was fine, and I was excited to read about it, but it was not up to par for how I thought it should have been written.” 

There were also the people who did not agree with the content of the article at all.

Brynn Peterson, a freshman general education major from Austin, said she was unsure of the content.

“It shocked me a little bit to think about the image that it gives to our school,” Peterson said. “When I was looking at schools to choose from, I almost did not come to Dixie because of the connotation of it being a party school. Talking about things that happen at parties in a news article is restating what everyone is already thinking about our school.”

Conner Snyder, a sophomore business major from South Jordan, agreed with Peterson and said he thinks it will desensitize people. 

“We are in Utah and we know everyone is sensitive toward everything,” Snyder said. “It’s shocking to have these types of things in the media alone, but our own public media makes it even scarier. I want St. George to keep up with the image that the rest of the state portrays, which is that we are a clean community.”

While students can agree to disagree, the numbers reflect the true feelings of most students.

DSN plans to continue the column.

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DSC’s ‘Henry V’ to be experimental study

by April JacksonPosted on

Dixie State College’s fine arts department’s rendition of “Henry V” will be more experimental than audiences may expect.

Rather than producing the play traditionally, director Michael Harding, associate professor of theater, chose to explore the character of Henry V. The play will consist of only five actors playing Henry V.

“We’re taking the character of Henry V, literally just the lines of him and the chorus lines, and we’re exploring the character that’s created in the script, as opposed to the script and the story itself,” Harding said.

Harding said experimental approaches are important for the academic side of the theater.

“Now that Dixie State is becoming a university, this is the kind of research, or academic work, that’s going to be necessary in the theater,” Harding said.

Harding said the play would also prove to be an excellent academic exercise for the student actors.

“Usually when actors get cast in their roles in a play, they focus on that role and don’t look at the play as a whole,” Harding said. “Speaking as a professional actor and a teacher, I can say firsthand that’s a mistake.”

Actor Bethany Gudgell, a junior theater major from Ogden, said the actors chose their lines based on which sections they connected with. She said learning to connect through Shakespeare’s language proved a great experience.

“Shakespeare wrote his characters so everyone could relate to them somehow,” she said. “They’re very human characters.” 

Gudgell also said the play has allowed her to learn Shakespeare’s complicated language.

“Once you can learn a Shakespeare piece, you can pretty much learn anything else,” she said. “It’s definitely taught me a lot about the language of a piece of theater…being able to let the language speak for itself, more than relying on the spectacle.” 

Harding said his version of the play would not only allow audiences and actors to explore the character, but that it would deconstruct the legendary figure of Shakespeare’s Henry V.

“In doing deconstructions like this, is the final product what theater should be for this play?” Harding asked. “No. I do think this is only the first step in experimenting with the character, but hopefully, the actors working in this and I, the director working on this, will understand Henry at a level that’s deeper than just societal assumptions, and we’ll really understand what the text says.”

Gudgell said the deconstructed play follows Henry V’s journey to Shakespeare’s legendary character.

“We get to go through Henry growing up and becoming a man,” she said. “We get to go from him being a king, but doesn’t think he can be a king, to truly succeeding and becoming a great king.”

Harding said Shakespeare’s characters, such as Henry V, often overshadowed the real historical figures, and he hoped audiences would enjoy the attempt to explore one of those larger-than-life characters.

He said: “I want [audiences] to know Henry V as intimately as we do —not just as a character in a story, but [I want them] ultimately to walk out of there and understand this king and who he really is.”

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DSC implements Starfish program; students generally unsure of program’s purpose

by Matty JacobsonPosted on

Student retention is crucial for a college’s success, and Dixie State College administration has implemented an additional resource to keep retention numbers up. 

Starfish is an online program designed to alert students if they begin to perform poorly in courses. The program is designed so instructors can continually update student performance online, and if enough poor marks are generated, then the student is contacted with the information and with solutions.

The program has been in place since the fall semester of 2012, so it hasn’t yet become a staple for DSC students like Canvas and Dmail. 

David Roos, DSC executive director of enrollment services, said Starfish will be a quality tool for student retention, as well as for students who simply need help but don’t know how to go about it. 

“Without having to do much effort, the instructors can click (on boxes like ‘poor performance in class’ or ‘poor performance on test’) and then click ‘submit,’” Roos said about the program’s functionality. “In less than 30 seconds, they have [generated a list of poorly performing students] and have raised a warning about the student.”

Roos said two things will happen once a red flag is raised.

First, an email will be sent to the student with an outline of his or her performance issues. The email will also include suggestions on how to improve, such as linking to the college’s Tutoring Center or Writing Center.

Roos said after a few days, the student will get a personal follow-up phone call from a peer adviser. The peer advisers are upperclassmen who have volunteered to help struggling students. 

“[The struggling student] can have a conversation that might be more useful than from someone who is just paid to call them,” Roos said.

While the program is a good idea in theory, there can only be success if Starfish is being used by instructors. 

Dixie Sun News sent a request via email to the entire DSC faculty and asked who is using the Starfish program and how effective it is so far. Only one faculty member responded.

McGarren Flack, DSC art lecturer and adviser, said Starfish has helped his students especially around midterm and finals. 

“It’s kind of a nice little reminder for students,” he said. “It’s just if you’re less than what you could be, it’s just a reminder to pick up your game.”

Flack said he thinks the additional reminders from a source outside the classroom can help boost students’ drive to succeed, and through that drive the school retains students who might otherwise lose interest in a class.

However, Flack said there are a couple of issues with the program.

“The only downside is taking the time to fill it out and submit it,” he said. 

He also said he hopes students would be taking the initiative to keep up on their work, and he thinks the Starfish program has the potential to enable students to be lackadaisical until they get that third party alert. 

Students can access their Starfish account by logging into student services through www.dixie.edu. The Starfish account can be found under the “Student” link, and then under the “Student Records” link.

Starfish can also be used to compliment students who are performing well.

Roos said that class sizes and tight schedules can sometimes prevent instructors from giving all the positive feedback they’d like to students; sometimes it’s necessary for the sake of time to focus on the things that need to be fixed and not on everything that was done correctly. He said those instructors can utilize Starfish and highlight all the good work that isn’t always addressed.

The Starfish program is designed to help students who want to succeed but are struggling to figure out how.

Abby Smith, a sophomore communication major from Taylorsville, said she didn’t know this system was in place, but she would utilize Starfish when it comes to certain courses. 

“I think it would help the students out a lot,” she said. “I feel like math is a hard class, and I always need help with that. I think it’s a good idea to help students.”

Briana Medina, a freshman health science major from Ogden, also wasn’t aware Starfish was already being utilized. She said the intentions behind it are good, but adding more things to do and check, on top of Canvas and Dmail, wouldn’t necessarily work for her. However, she said it might work for others.

“It sounds like a bit much (for me),” she said. 

Since the school began using the Starfish program, students who have been contacted have been asked to take a survey that rated their overall satisfaction with the program. 

The survey was drafted through DSC’s enrollment services and hosted by SurveyMonkey.com. As of Jan. 29, 94 students have taken the survey.

Of those polled, 35.5 percent said they appreciated that their instructors expressed concern for them through the Starfish system, and 26.6 percent said the instructors’ concerns were helpful. However, 44.7 percent said they never received a follow-up phone call from a peer adviser with further assistance, and 28.6 percent said they weren’t even sure why they received a message in the first place.

“I know there are people that need an extra shove,” Medina said. “But if I just don’t want to do it, then I’m not going to do it.”

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Students make Super Bowl predictions on defenses, dueling brother coaches

by Mishandi SarhanPosted on

With the two teams finally announced, football fans all across the United States have one thing on their minds: Super Bowl XLVII.

“It’ll be fun to see who wins,” said Jaden Byron, a freshman psychology major from Los Angeles. “I’m not rooting for any team, but the game is going to be intense. Both teams are insanely good.”

The two teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, have proved that, for this season at least, they had what it takes to be great. Now they must face off to determine exactly who the best is. Fans have already started making predictions and placing bets on who will be the Super Bowl XLVII champions.

“We all know it’s the 49ers who will take the ring,” said Devin Johnson, a senior nursing major from San Francisco. “I’ve got no doubt they will crush the Ravens.”

According to fan polls across the nation, from a variety of sports-oriented companies such as ESPN and the NFL, the 49ers are the four-point favorites over the Ravens this Super Bowl. Don’t go placing your bets yet, though.

When it comes to the Super Bowl, almost all the sports commentators agree that a good defense is almost everything. Both the Ravens and the 49ers have amazing defenses, though slightly different. The Ravens possessive defense has been labeled “fearsome” by ESPN, while the 49ers are “fast.”

Despite the equally talented defenses, the Ravens are the ones said to have the defensive edge. Though their two elite linebackers, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, were both injured during the season, their ferocity and determination are not lacking.

The linebackers play as if they have been playing all season, said Eric Allen, an “NFL Live” commentator. While the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick, who is extremely fast, a healthy Lewis and Suggs combination will go a long way in shutting down the 49ers’ quarterback.

“Baltimore is the underdog team, yeah,” said Alex White, sophomore biology major from Salt Lake City. “But with it being Ray Lewis’ last game, there’s no way they’re going to let the 49ers take the game.”

Of course, the Super Bowl isn’t just about the two competing teams this year. Rather, it’s about two competing brothers. Jim Harbaugh, who is the head coach for the 49ers, and John Harbaugh, the Raven’s head coach, will go head-to-head this Super Bowl with some much anticipated sibling rivalry.

“Both coaches know exactly what they’re doing,” said Brandon Wilson, a freshman criminal justice major from Boston, Mass. “They’re both extremely talented and organized; it’ll be awesome to see the two Harbaugh brothers against each other, practically duking it out.”

Though the sibling rivalry is storming the media, the Harbaugh brothers have said on record they don’t want this Super Bowl to be about that.

“We’re not that interesting,” John Harbaugh told Detroit Mich. reporters, while trying to downplay the brother angle. “There’s nothing more to learn. I really hope the focus is not so much on that. We get it. It’s really cool and it’s exciting and all that.”

Whether or not you’re a 49ers or a Ravens fan, this is not a game to miss. So, kick back and enjoy the Super Bowl, watch a couple commercials, and see which team wins the ring this year.

“I’m not a fan of either teams,” said Ariel Pearce, a junior elementary education major from Salt Lake City. “But I must admit, the Super Bowl is a huge deal, so I’ll definitely be watching.”

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New coach brings new gusto to Red Storm baseball

by Taylor DeckerPosted on

The Red Storm baseball team is preparing for a comeback season after falling short during last year’s regional championship.

Dixie State College’s baseball team has started this year with its new head coach Chris Pfatenhauer.

It was expected to be overwhelming for the players to start the season with a new coach.

But Pfatenhauer said his players have been receiving not only his new coaching strategies well, but also new aspects of the game.

“We started our fall practice in September,” Pfatenhauer said. “So we are about five months into it, and the guys have bought in tremendously to the new coaching staff.”

Pfatenhauer said it could have been tough for him if the returning men hadn’t bought into what he was doing and what the staff brought to the team in terms of philosophies.

He said the new philosophies include everything from attending other sporting events on campus to doing community service. He also asked them to make some mechanical adjustments to their game.

“It’s been a really smooth transition,” Pfatenhauer said.

Before coming to Dixie, Pfatenhauer spent the last three years as the first assistant baseball coach for the University of Nevada. He was also the recruiting coordinator. Prior to that, he worked two years at Chico State University in California where he specialized in hitting.

Now the team is fine tuning for the next two weeks as the Red Storm prepare to open the season with their Alumni game on Feb. 2. in Bruce Hurst Field at noon.

Capitalizing on their strengths for the upcoming games, Pfatenhauer said some of their biggest threats to their opponents are their ability to hit, their speed, and their power.

“We have a really good mix offensively, and we have a lot of senior leadership,” Pfatenhauer said. “We have 13 seniors and guys that were in the program last year.”

Pfatenhauer said Dixie almost had a chance to go to the World Series last year. He said there are a lot of guys who have been through the system and know the way the game works.

“We had a really talented team [last year],” said pitcher Josh Mooney, a senior business major from American Fork. “But we underachieved and we didn’t make the plays that we should have.”

Now DSC is working hard to ensure it’s not defeated by a small margin again.

“There are a lot of changes this year,” Mooney said. “But it just depends on how you react to it. Team chemistry is a big change from last year. We weren’t as close as (a) group and this year we are.”

Pfatenhauer pointed out some of the returning starters who are expected to perform well this season. Those include Senior catcher Mitch Manning, sophomore third baseman Yuto Kata, senior second baseman Colton Yack, along with three infielders and seven pitchers.

Joining the team this year are a few new recruits. Pfatenhauer said the key contributors are sophomore infielder and pitcher Kevin Kline, who was announced freshman all-American at SUU.

Pfatenhauer said he will be the first baseman on the opening day.

Along with Kline, joining the team will also be junior pitcher Bubba Blau, from Cochise Community College in Arizona, as well as Kort Christoffersen, a junior pitcher who previously played at College of Eastern Utah.

Spring kickoff for baseball starts Feb. 1-2. On Feb. 1, there will be a baseball dinner at 6 p.m. in the Gardner Ballroom. Dale Sveum, the manager of the Chicago Cubs, is attending and speaking at the dinner, and an auction will be held.

Pfatenhauer said he would like people to come out and support the team.

DSC’s home opener will be held on Feb. 28 against Montana State University-Billings.

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Red Storm prep Feb 2 game against GCU

by Taylor DeckerPosted on

Men’s Basketball head coach Jon Judkins is spilling some secrets to success as Dixie State College prepares to face Grand Canyon University for the second time.

Dixie beat GCU by 71-66 when it played the Antelopes four weeks ago while fighting to stay ahead most of the first half. But Dixie took the win the first time, which could be an advantage for GCU on Feb. 2.

“[GCU] could use that to motivate them,” Judkins said. “But it’s good for us too because our guys know we can beat them. It’s going to be a war.”

Judkins said it will be an advantage for GCU to play at home. He said last time they played the Antelopes in Arizona they lost on a last second shot. Dixie will use that game to drive their players’ motivation. 

But that is not the only precautions the Red Storm are taking.

“[We need] mental preparation,” said forward Zach Robbins, a communication major from Upland, Calif. “[We can’t] let up because we have already beaten them once.”

Robbins said they need to make sure that they don’t let GCU’s fans bother them. He said they need to stay mentally strong.

Judkins has been telling the guys they are in the driver’s seat this time. They just have to focus.  

“We have to worry about each game one at a time,” Judkins said.“If we do that, then we are going to put another banner in this gym. It’s that simple.”

The Antelopes have yet to lose a game at home.

Judkins said the key to winning this game is focusing on defense and rebounding. Offensively they have to take care of the ball and have no unforced turnovers. In other words, don’t give up the ball without a fight.

“We are big into these little war things,” Judkins said. “The game is a war, and you have these four minute battles.”

Judkins said between each media time out there are four minutes of playing time. He tells the men if they can go out and give it everything they have for those four minutes, then they are one step closer to winning.  It is a lot easier than saying, “Give me everything for 20 minutes.”

“The last couple of games we have done very well,” Judkins said. “We have won most of them, but we have lost one or two of the battles. We have got to try to win every battle.”

Judkins said if they just slow the game down and break it up a little bit, the players’ focus is better. He said the secret to their success is their talented players.

“You have got to have players to win,” Judkins said. “I don’t care what you do, you aren’t going to win championships — first goes to them.”

Judkins said their coaching staff is also a big part of their success. He said they do a good job of preparing the men.

I don’t think we have always been the best team, but I think we have been the best prepared team,” Judkins said.

The Red Storm has recently played three games in 21 days.

Judkins said when there are only three games in three weeks, it is hard to keep the players motivated, but when the men play extremely hard together there is a good chance for them to win.

“Everybody that watches us play, come and say, ‘Man I love how hard your guys play’ and that’s a credit to them,” Judkins said.

The Red Storm play GCU on Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Arizona.

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Azusa loss motivates Red Storm to win against GCU

by Shelby MisrasiPosted on

One loss to Azusa Pacific University brought the women yearning for a comeback win Saturday on the road against Grand Canyon University.

Although junior forward Johnna Brown had her ninth double-double Saturday night, the Dixie State College women’s basketball team still fell short 62-73 to Azusa Pacific. Dixie held the Cougars’ shooting percentage at 33.8 percent from the field, but the Storm’s turnovers and rebounds are what caused the women to trail 40 minutes of the game.

“It could have gone a little better than it did, obviously,” said sophomore guard Kaylah Miller, a communication major from San Diego. “We came up a little short, but I do feel like this week of practice is going to improve us from the game.”

Miller said the team will either bounce back from the loss or fall, and she thinks the team is more than likely to bounce back against Grand Canyon.

“When we play Grand Canyon… the intensity of practice the week before we play is extremely different than a normal week,” Miller said. “We work harder, (and) we try to get down to the little things in practice.”

The Red Storm lost in double overtime 71-73 the last time it faced GCU on Jan. 10. This was its first conference loss of the season even though the Red Storm outshot the Antelopes 43.3 percent to 35.8 percent.

Brown led the team with 28 points and 16 rebounds. She had a double-double by halftime, but more players needed to assist the team to victory.

Senior center Becca Thomas, a communication major from Riverside Calif., said even though the team lost 62-73 to Azusa Pacific Saturday, it has given the women the motivation to come out on top in the game against Grand Canyon.

“I expect us to come back eager to win, especially after the [Azusa] loss,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the team is still looking for conference success with the overall record of 8-9.

“I wish our record was better, but we’re still OK and we can still move forward and hopefully get a good place in the conference tournament,” Thomas said.

The Red Storm suffered a tough loss on Jan. 10 taking Grand Canyon to double overtime. The team is hoping to fight again and move forward from the Azusa loss.

“[GCU is] our rival—we always want to beat them, and they always want to beat us,” Miller said. “So I feel like the preparation isn’t different than other games, but the players step up because they know how big of a game it is.”

Thomas said the season is different not just because of the obvious coaching change, but because of the way head coach Derek Dawes coaches. She said coach Angela Kristensen was more intense, while Dawes is more calm and relaxed.

“I like it,” Thomas said. “He’s doing a great job and I think the coaches are working together to make sure we’re OK from losing our coach and…moving forward.”

Miller said it’s been a hard change, but the team is looking ahead.

“It’s definitely been a roller coaster, but it’s nothing that we can’t handle,” Miller said. “All we can do is play for each other now and respect each other and just play with heart. It’s still a game of basketball no matter what happens.”

Miller also said Dawes is a positive change to the program.

“[Dawes is] a great guy,” Miller said. “He’s the nicest, sweetest person I’ve ever met. He respects us, and he knows his job. He came in here willingly to…support our program and do the best he can, and I think he’s doing really great things.”

The team is focused on the fundamentals of defense, rebounds and communication this week for the game this Saturday in Phoenix against GCU at 2 p.m.

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Snow science building grand opening set for July 30

by Payton DavisPosted on

Modern furniture, architecture and technology open opportunities for students while bringing the scattered Dixie State College science and math departments closer.

Remodeling of the Val A. Browning Library is set for completion on July 30, and classes are already being held in the upper science laboratories of the building, now named the Edward H. and Idonna E. Snow Science Center.

Sherry Ruesch, executive director of campus services, said the addition to the old library was different than other projects, such as Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons’ construction, because the design wasn’t started from scratch.

“In most of the classrooms and office areas, the construction was fairly light—just a lot of IT, of course, and walls,” Ruesch said, referencing a need to turn once-open quarters into classrooms and labs.

Making structural changes posed many challenges, and the Snow building additions took longer than anticipated. Also, limited funding prevented planning expensive and less necessary features.

“It will be nice, and it will work,” Ruesch said. “We could’ve done more with more money.” 

However, the building’s completion is a large upgrade to tight spaces math and science students face in the North Instructional Building and Science Building. Cramped hallways and classrooms trap students at times, and some classes in both departments are held in various venues across campus.

Brandt Wood, a junior general education major from Santa Clara, spends the majority of class time in the Science Building. However, Wood said he has some classes on the other side of campus.

“Right now I’m taking a chemistry class in a different building because I guess they don’t have enough room for all the science teachers to be there,” Wood said.

In addition to giving science classes a central location, bringing new technologies into the labs of an ever-changing field that benefits students. Ruesch said upgrading resources and replacing bulky furniture that took space in the NIB was a focus.

“[The NIB] is a sardine can,” Ruesch said. “It isn’t because there are too many students in each classroom; it’s almost because the furniture is too big.”

Jessica Caster, a junior nursing major from St. George, said open space and technological benefits don’t only aid students.

“I hope we can do more with resources we have, and the professors can do more [with advancements] in classes,” Caster said.

Melissa Muse, a sophomore general education major from Salt Lake City, takes a science class in the Browning Learning Resource Center, and said the building isn’t meant for science classes because the classrooms lack the science posters and diagrams on the walls; this creates a strained learning environment.

Transformation of the old library gives students in the same fields a concentrated study space, and Ruesch said renovations will surprise students familiar with the building.

“It’s a big change for people familiar with the old building,” Ruesch said.

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Erotic Topic: Contraception choices abundant

by Katie McKellarPosted on

Diverting the stork doesn’t have to be all about pills and condoms as long as you’re prepared to get down and dirty with a few tricks and little risk.

We all know from our overwhelmingly educational high school health classes that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective form of birth control. 

However, common sense tells us anyone looking into birth control most likely isn’t intending to stay sex-free. Thus, if you’re not planning on having intercourse any time soon, read no further—congratulations, you’ve found your perfect method.

For the rest of us, other forms of behavioral birth control do exist.

Before I continue, though, I must stamp my words with a big fat disclaimer: Behavioral birth control is nowhere near as effective as other forms of contraception. So now those ready to accuse me of endorsing reckless sexual behavior can calm down.  

The first form of behavioral birth control I’ll discuss is one step beyond abstinence:  outercourse. Outercourse entails any act of sex play from manual stimulation to oral or anal sex, just as long as that locked-and loaded penis stays out of the vagina. 

Outercourse is nearly 100 percent effective; it is possible one little batch of sperm could wiggle its way up from the outside in (with a disturbing amount of bad luck).

Some couples might find outercourse painstaking because it denies perhaps the single most desired sexual event. However, one unique advantage to outercourse is it can actually improve the intimacy of the sexual experience by making it last longer.

Drawing out the action may also add to the built up of a more intense orgasm. Outercourse is purely about the tease, and tease surely does make for a fantastic finale.

However, the risk of outercourse is this: Due to its foreplay-like nature, it can often just lead right to intercourse.

Legs will tangle, clothes will slide away, and what starts out as harmless grinding could turn into full-blown vaginal penetration. All it takes is a little slip.

Oops. Too late now?

No.

If slippage does occur, there is still hope. One more behavioral method could possibly prevent pregnancy.

According to Planned Parenthood’s website, withdrawal, or the pull-out method, is 73-96 percent effective, ranging from typical to perfect use. However, it does require a vast amount of self-control, experience and trust.

The man must know exactly when he’s going to ejaculate and have the will to pull out before he does. The woman must also trust in his ability and his honesty to admit his miscalculation if he doesn’t pull out in time, so she knows whether or not she should go get that dreaded morning-after pill.

Experience is the only way partners can build withdrawal skill and trust. If you two are working toward the confidence to solely rely on the pull-out method, I’d recommend using another form of contraception while practicing.

Guys, this form of birth control is all on you. Besides taking care to familiarize yourself with your stages of climax, you can do a few other things to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the withdrawal method.

To decrease the possibility of some leftover sperm from a previous ejaculation hitching a ride with pre-ejaculate fluid, men can develop the habit of urinating between orgasms, which can help clear the urethra of sperm and thus improve the effectiveness of the pull-out method.

Men should also take care to aim their ejaculation away from the vulva. Pregnancy is still possible from such spillage.

Ladies, only until you witness first-hand that your man can consistently, time and again, control himself should you trust the pull-out method as a reliable form of contraception.

Also, don’t agree to rely on the withdrawal method unless you are completely comfortable with your partner and the decision. Above all, trust your instincts.

While other forms of contraception might sport more comforting effectiveness percentages, behavioral methods are always an option when no other form of birth control is available. They’re also free of costs and side effects, convenient and fun.

However, those solely relying on behavioral birth control should tread cautiously. If or when that slip-up (or slip in) occurs, the risk of pregnancy is very real. I, personally, am much more confident in the consistency of birth control science rather than the reliance on human willpower.

Therefore, only those with willingness to experiment, strong self-control and non-impulsive personalities should consider using behavioral methods as birth control. Deciding to rely on behavioral birth control might seem adventurous, but the result of a failure is drastic.

Behavioral birth control is only one of many types of contraception available. Future columns will feature more information and advice about other birth control strategies. 

If you have any comments or questions about behavioral birth control or other types of contraception, visit Erotic Topic’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/EroticTopic or send an email to erotictopic@gmail.com. 

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