If you’re a virgin this article isn’t for you; maybe it is. Or maybe like me many of you fall into the category of individuals who didn’t wait for marriage to have sex; and that’s ok. Human sexuality can be a beautiful thing. We as human beings do have sexual desires and needs to be fulfilled and we as human beings should have the mental capacity to know what is right or wrong for us. Now with that being said there are a lot of grey areas in the topics of pre marital sex due to religious influences and practiced good morals. So lets throw religion and good morals out the window for a second. Procreation is a necessary tool in our mere existence as a civilization, yet it at times can carry a taboo cloud over its head.

So where can we really say what’s wrong and what’s right? Its simple, you make the decision for yourself. If an individual is 18 they are legally considered an adult, they can die for their country and have no escape from taxes (yet oddly cant drink alcohol). So what an adult decides to do with his or her body really is their decision alone and should naturally be in their best interest. Sex is a great thing; it provides a fun exercise, it can temporarily cure a cold or even permanently fix a bad day. It’s the possible outcomes of sex and peoples irresponsibility towards it that make living in Tulare County a game of Russian roulette with babies and STD’s.

So here is how you can do your part if you prefer a sexually active and healthy lifestyle. First things, get yourself tested if you haven’t yet. The best cure is prevention and when all is said and done you can confidently let a future partner know of your clean slate. Second would be to know your partner well enough; this can be hard if you’re the type who likes to go home after a good first impression at the bar. Which brings me to the third part; protection, because no matter how well you think you know someone they might not even know of what special surprises are waiting for you. Protection can also help fight against actually making babies since that’s what sex is for. Don’t get me wrong I love kids but I’m not trying to support one in my early 20’s. And although most contraceptives wont offer a 100% guarantee it certainly is better than nothing at all. Sure it can be hard to think of what is necessary when you’re in the heat of the moment but its just a simple thought and action that can help you from becoming another Tulare County statistic.

The last but possibly most important is to make sure that your sexual lifestyle is healthy for you and that your respecting yourself. Whether you like getting it on frequently or not people go about this in different ways. Some choose the relationship route to have a safe and reliable partner while others like trying out new partners more frequently. Ultimately it’s your life and your decision so make sure whatever you decide that it’s what it’s best for you. Sex can be whatever you make it to be. To some its sacred to others it’s a daily routine. To some it’s the pure basis of a relationship yet it’s the kindle that keeps that love flame warm for others. For a young COS student it’s a serious game with some real life consequences that could permanently alter the rest of your life. So why not play smart if your going to play at all? Its up to us to take responsibility for our actions and ourselves in everything we do including sex. Now I would like to leave you with this more realistic statistic. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “A healthy man who has unprotected sex with a non drug-using woman has a one in 5 million chance of getting HIV. If he wears a condom, the odds drop to one in 50 million. And though it’s easier for men to infect women, the odds that an HIV-positive man will transmit the virus to a woman through sex are less than one in 1,000.”