(This is the final article in a three-part series covering safe sex. It has included information about condoms, birth control and abstinence.)

Click Here to Read Part One: Sex Talk: Condoms and STD prevention

Click Here to Read Part Two: Sex Talk: Birth control and contraception

So far we have covered using condoms to prevent STDs and using birth control to prevent pregnancy. But what is the best way to avoid both of those?

Yes, you guessed it.

Abstinence.

To be honest, I don’t really like the word “abstinence.” It fills my mind with former teachers in health class barking at me to never have sex outside of marriage rather than actually teaching me about sex.

However, I do like the basic idea of abstinence (as opposed to the connotations attached to it). When I looked up the definition; multiple dictionary sites stated that it was the practice of avoiding alcoholic beverages. The second definition was not having sex.

Making the choice to not participate in activities that could alter your life is a healthy choice.

If you aren’t sure what choice you should make, just ask yourself this question: are you ready to potentially deal with having an STD or being pregnant?

Answer realistically and honestly. If you feel that you could handle either of those, then go ahead, get some condoms and get on birth control. But if you even remotely cringed at those two possibilities, then having sex at this time is not for you.

I’ve been somewhat dreading this part of the series because this choice is more of an abstract concept. Some people even choose abstinence for religious or moral reasons and not necessarily as birth control.

As a form of birth control and STD prevention, abstinence is the only 100 percent guarantee. Either you are practicing it or not. Just like when using condoms, when you make the choice not to use one, then your chances of getting an STD or getting pregnant go up.

There are actually two kinds of abstinence. Not having intercourse but doing everything leading up to intercourse or abstaining from all sexual activity.

Sadly, you can still get an STD even if you don’t have intercourse. There are several types of STDs that can spread orally or from skin-to-skin contact.

Genital and oral herpes can be spread this way. Also, syphilis can be spread through mouth sores during oral sex.

Being educated is probably the best thing for your health, regardless of what the topic is. You need to know that condoms have a 12 percent failure rate in the prevention of pregnancy, but with perfect use (meaning putting on correctly, checking for damage and having the correct fit), there is a 98 percent success rate.

Knowing these facts will allow you to make a better choice when considering to have sex or not.

I am not here to tell you which route to take or which choice is better. That’s the thing; this is all a personal choice. Because I was only presented with one choice while in high school (abstinence), I wanted to be sure that everyone has all the choices regarding sex presented.

I am going to tell you to take your time to decide what you feel is best for yourself. Even if you have been having sex for the last few years, it’s okay to make the decision to stop or to start birth control.

That is my hope for this series. I want every student at WSC to have a chance to be educated about these topics and be able to make the best decision for him or herself.

We all have choices. Your choice might be abstinence or it could be choosing to have safe sex. Whatever you choose, be educated on that choice and stand firm in it, don’t back down.

Always protect yourself and others with the choices you make.