There is really no way to accurately quantify the numbers of students at Cornell who are sexually active. After all, what is sexual activity?
What one student may define as sexual, another may not. But in an attempt to learn more about health behaviors, Ganett surveyed a sample of Cornell students in the Fall 2002, using the National College Health Assessment Survey (NCHA).  Approximately 35% of the respondents had never engaged in vaginal intercourse and approximately 30% reported never having engaged in oral intercourse. Do the math to find the answer to this question.

There is no way to know. Here is why.

Gannett offers confidential HIV antibody testing, but test results are protected by stringent confidentiality laws. Many students may choose to be tested elsewhere in the community or at home. Most importantly, many students who may have been exposed to the HIV virus never get tested, assuming their risk is minimal. They don't even kow they are carrying the virus. Finally, some students at risk choose not to be tested because they are afraid to learn the results.

According to the NCHA 2002 data, approximately 54% of students who engaged in vaginal ntercourse reported that they used condoms regularly. In contrast, only 29% of those reporting anal intercourse and 4% of those reporting oral sex used condoms.

If you look at question #4 (below) you will see that this is alarming news due to the high correlation between inconsistent condom use and disease transmission.

We have no way of knowing the numbers at Cornell. This information is not complied in any aggregate way because confidential health records are protected and it would take resources not currently available to compile these statsitics.

However, in the U.S. it is estimated that 1 in 4 teens contracts an STI  each year. The good news is that consistent condom use can provide substantial protection against the transmission of diseases such as herpes, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV.