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Each year students from across the U.S. take to the roads and skies in search of sandy beaches and steamy nights, but a new study suggests that they may come back with something they didn't bargain for.

On March 8, the American Medical Association released a poll of 644 randomly selected college women age 17-35. This study focused on the increased sexual activity and binge drinking that is commonly associated with spring break.

Its findings paint a very grim picture on the state of college women and their vices. For instance, the polls show that more than half of college women agree being promiscuous is a way to fit in. Sex with multiple partners was also affirmed by only 13 percent of the sample population, although 59 percent said they knew someone who did.

Vast amounts of alcohol consumption was cited as a major factor for this enhanced level of debauchery, since the overwhelming majority of students said they drank more on spring break than they did on campus. Daytona, Fl. county officials said last year they have twice as many reported rapes the month of spring break than any other time during the year.

But if many girls who went to spring break had unprotected sex with multiple partners and consumed unsafe amounts of alcohol, there would be a huge influx of STDs and pregnancies, right?

This is not always the case, according to Colleen Bernstein from the Norris Health Center. She said there was not a trend in increased instances of STDs and that STD testing comes in patterns according more to a woman's annual checkups than a large surge right after break.

However, she does admit that girls' "going wild" is in the nature of spring break, and that alcohol plays a big role in making bad decisions. With the availability of alcohol in many of these destinations, especially other countries where there may not be the same age limit, if a student wants to drink there is no stopping them.

To lessen the dangers for students, Bernstein gave two bits of advice for the would-be spring breaker: get informed and use the buddy system.

In fact, many people go on vacation for just this reason-to leave their inhibitions and midterms at home and go nuts for a week. If coeds didn't want to go out to clubs in exotic lands, get piss drunk and wake up with a random stranger or two (or three) they would not have gone in the first place

The AMA laid out some guidelines to reduce the risks of increased sexual activity and binge drinking, including:

* Campuses should offer more alternative spring breaks

* Restrictions should be placed on alcohol advertising on campus

* Parents should convey to their children the dangers of alcohol and excessive partying

Dr. Julie Bonner, director of the Norris Health Center, disagrees with only changing the protocol for spring break. She even goes so far as to cast a doubt over the AMA's findings.

"They are missing the big picture," she said. "Healthcare is an everyday concern not only for spring break."

The stigma that the wild party is the desired destination for students may be a bit outdated anyway. Hotels.com, a popular internet hotel booking site, took its own survey of 300 students ages 18-22. They discovered that the stereotypical party vacation was losing popularity among the college crowd.

The negative aspects of the crazy spring break seem to be having an impact on the college students of today. More than half of college girls surveyed by hotels.com said that they prefer a safe environment rather than a wild party.

Parents like this safer approach more, too. While it is true that many spring break trips are financed at least in part by mother and father, they said they would be more willing to open their wallets for destinations that were not associated with rampant debauchery.

The financial aspects of these trips are not the only reasons for taking a tamer trip; students are more likely to talk about safety with their friends, as well as plan for emergencies than they were five years ago.

Regardless of the destination there is always the possibility for disaster, a little bit of planning can help ensure not only a fun spring break, but also a safe one.

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