As spring break commences, college students across the nation will be in situations that could include excessive sun exposure, alcohol, and sexually transmitted diseases. There are many unique health threats for young women to be aware of as they head to the beach or venture out on vacation.

The sun and spring break are synonymous in many students’ minds. Everyone wants to get a great tan, but the looming threat of skin cancer should be a deterrent for any spring-breaker to go for the lobster look.

According to Dr. Jennifer Wider, M.D., a medical advisor for the Society for Women’s Health and author of its nationally distributed news service, you should “make sure to use sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF and reapply an ample amount - at least a shot glass full - every 2-3 hours throughout the day.”

Wider answered 30 questions related to spring break and health during an online moderated discussion host by the Society this past Monday.

Raising a myth about alcohol use and abuse, one question asked if drinking salad oil before drinking alcohol would prevent intoxication by providing the stomach with a protective coating. Wider responded, “The idea behind that rumor is that fatty foods stick to the stomach lining longer and in theory would slow down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.”

Wider said a better strategy is to pace your drinking and avoid binge-drinking: “Chugging salad oil would probably be less than pleasant and binge-drinking isn’t safe for you or your body!”

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are another issue that young women in particular must be concerned with, because they impact women more than men. The lining of the vagina is very susceptible to absorbing a sexually transmitted virus. “This makes the transmission of disease more efficient from man to woman than vice-versa,” Wider said.

It is important that women who are sexually active practice safe sex and receive regular screenings, because STDs may go unnoticed for long periods of time. If left untreated, certain STDs can cause infertility, pregnancy complications, cervical cancer, or pelvic inflammatory disease.

Source: Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR)