Unprotected sex isn't worth it

By Koren Temple

Our college years are full of many wild nights. And without going into too much detail, we all experience a nighttime rendezvous here and there.

We like to think that sex every now and then does a body good amid midterms and papers. Well, not in light of recent studies.

According to a survey by the Society for Adolescent Medicine, out of the 56 percent of college students who have sex, 73 percent are having unprotected sex.

Does that 73 percent ever wonder through the "ooh"s and "ahh"s the worst things that can happen? Because, in my mind, two dreadful words spring up and say "boo."

Kids and STDs.

Having kids in college is definitely intimidating. But that isn't the worst part. It's the long-term repercussions of raising children that are scary.

From age two, kids become pricey little consumers. To raise one child, takes a hefty $249,180 investment. And on top of that, college costs will almost double that amount.

Yet the costs of raising children reach far beyond monetary value. There are the infamous stages every parent must suffer: the terrible two's, the "burgery" four's, the snaggletooth eight's, and from there, kids just enter the 10-year attitude stage.

All that is a result of unprotected sex. But that's not all that can happen.

Imagine waking up to a furry little creature hibernating in your underpants; or staring at pimples that aren't conveniently located on your face. Look out, because STDs have taken over.

They affect one of two sexually active youth by age 25, and account for more than nine million new cases for people ages 15 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The three most common STDs among young people are Human Papillomavirus (HPV), trichomoniasis and chlamydia.

HPV is commonly is known as genital warts. That's right, warts don't just grow on fingers and toes. They have other breeding grounds. Although HPV isn't curable, those pesky bumps can be burned off with acid. Gee, how convenient.

And that's not all STDs can cause. They are also responsible for green ooze, cauliflowers, blisters, and things named crabs. Those are some of the invaders that could cause a permanent shuffle in your walk.

So what's worse? Giving up your life to raise a child you're not ready for, or giving up your life to some incurable disease or even to AIDS?

Either way, it's not worth it. Just wrap it up and enjoy those wild college nights responsibly.

û Contact Koren Temple at (408)544-4852 or ktemple@scu.edu.