That's horrible, and nonsensical for the time period. With the amount of advocacy, and information available. Why would ANYONE consider not using a condom in uncommitted relationships?
One reason is that the STDs you do tend to catch from casual uni sex are cured by a $20 pill, if that's even on your mind when you're drunk in someone's dorm bed.
"Shit, I got HIV/warts from hooking up" just isn't something I ever heard in uni. It just isn't part of the discourse. Those just don't seem to penetrate the uni bubble.