(This is a three-part series focused on safe sex. It will include information about condoms, birth control and abstinence.)

I strongly believe that my high school and my school district as a whole does a very good job educating students.

On most topics.

The downfall of my education was a lack of information about safe sex. I was lucky enough to have parents who were comfortable about the topic and answered my questions as best as they could. Some students aren’t so lucky.

The lack of knowledge about condoms can cause unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases, or STDs. Because I am covering birth control in the next issue, this week will concentrate on the prevention of STDs.

My public school education of STDs focused mainly on the disgusting aspects of the diseases and how I could contract a rare form of chlamydia. And yes, a very graphic PowerPoint with pictures accompanied the lecture.

I did learn something from this scare tactic, however. Douglas County in Nebraska has some of the highest STD rates in the nation.

That is scary.

According to stdomaha.com, in 2012, chlamydia was the number one STD in Douglas County. Per 100,000 people, about 618 people suffered chlamydia in Douglas County. That is well above the number for Nebraska as a whole, which was 366 and for the U.S. at 457.

In 2004, gonorrhea and chlamydia were both called an epidemic in Douglas County and the numbers sure haven’t improved much. In 2013, the Douglas County Health Department reported that there were 4,400 cases of STDs.

Looks like that PowerPoint didn’t work too well.

If you plan on having sex in the near future, then make your way over to ShopKo or U-Save Pharmacy and buy some condoms. Or head down to the health services on campus. There you will find a big bowl of condoms free for the taking. Both men and women need to take control of their health.

Ladies, don’t put your health into the guy’s hands. You need to be able to take care of yourselves and buy some condoms. Don’t think about any embarrassment because honestly, buying condoms is less embarrassing than buying a pregnancy test or going to get an STD test.

Condoms, other than not having sex at all, is the best way to prevent contracting and spreading an STD. Using a condom could possibly also be the choice between living a healthy life or having a disease for the rest of it.

HIV/AIDS, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and Herpes are all STDs that do not have any cure. Sure, the symptoms can be controlled but someone infected will always be a carrier of the virus.

I am not here to shame anyone who has an STD, but I am encouraging anyone who does to always use protection.

I’m also encouraging people who aren’t infected to always use protection, because you never know if someone is telling the truth about being clean, or they don’t know themselves.

Contrary to some beliefs, there are STDs that don’t show symptoms. Men can be carriers for HPV but they hardly show symptoms. It is extremely rare for a man to show symptoms of HPV. Also, there are no recommended HPV tests for men to find out if they have it. The only way a woman can tell if she has HPV is with a pelvic exam.

So, what have we all learned from this? No glove, no love.

The student health service on campus does provide condoms. If you have any questions regarding what condoms you should buy or use, or about STDs, call to make an appointment at (402) 375-7470.