Column: Clap back against STDs and practice safe sex

“It doesn't feel as good.”

“She said she was clean.”

“We didn't have any.”

These are all excuses I have heard countless of my friends make in an attempt to justify not using a condom during sex. It's not just them, as only a quarter of college students report always using a condom during sex. It makes sense then that almost one in four college students has been diagnosed with an STD. 

In an age with novel medical approaches to disease treatment, and a time where information access is vast, why are so many college students so dead set on practicing unsafe sex? 

For starters, young people often fall victim to the invincibility complex, a phenomenon where people believe the consequences of high-risk behavior will not apply to them. Maybe it's because our brains haven't finished fully developing, or maybe it's just because it's difficult to grasp the newfound freedom offered upon entering college, but we continuously ignore the risks associated with our actions. This invincibility complex is fueling a dangerous epidemic. Sure, medical research has greatly progressed in recent decades, and there are a variety of treatments present for the most common STDs, but that doesn't eliminate the risk entirely. 

Take human papillomavirus, for example. HPV is the most common STD present on college campuses, with an estimated almost one-third of college women infected with the virus. Not only is HPV so common, it's also incredibly difficult to detect. There aren't even direct HPV tests for men. 

It seems almost elementary to say, but just because someone isn't showing symptoms of an STD, it doesn't mean they don't have one. HPV, chlamydia, HIV and syphilis are all capable of going undetected for a significant amount of time, and they can have devastating consequences on the reproductive system.

Just because someone says they are clean, doesn't make it true. As someone who says they’re 6-foot-1 on dating apps, trust me — people lie. Especially when they want to sleep with you.

I have a friend who regularly gets played by men. It's kind of her thing. She explained to me at length recently that a man she was currently seeing preferred not to use condoms. The lovely gent had taken the time to explain to her that he had been tested and was clean and so she obliged — hooray, right? 

Now, I don't know this mystery man, and maybe he really had been tested recently. The unfortunate truth, however, is that you really have no way of knowing without some actual proof. Said man also told her he wasn't seeing anyone else, and as she quickly found out, that wasn't true. As I said to her, if you can't trust him to text you back on time, you can't trust him to be honest about his health. 

STDs aren't the sole risk of unsafe sex, either. Almost 20 percent of college students have unintentionally gotten pregnant or gotten someone else pregnant. If pregnancy tests are open-note, why do so many college students keep failing them? It's easy to think it won't happen to you, but there's a very real possibility it could. 

As for pleasure, I understand that condoms may not feel great, but neither do genital warts. I had a friend who used to cling to this line of reasoning, until he himself contracted anal herpes. The condom might not have been ideal, but now nothing feels good. 

In the end, if you're incapable of utilizing an ounce of higher thought to override your most basic human desires (i.e. using a condom), then I wish you luck in life. 

If you're not going to use protection, at least get tested and watch out for symptoms of STDs. Perhaps take note from gay men and consider investing in a PrEP prescription. As we approach Christmas time, remember: a wrapped gift is the best gift. 

@dthopinion | opinion@dailytarheel.com