Q:

I like this site and service but I find myself becoming increasingly phobic when I'm reading from the sexual health section. Do a lot of people have sex? What percentage has a contagious disease (STD)? Do I need to worry about public places like the bathrooms or drinking fountains on campus? Cause let me tell you, there are more than a couple of restrooms on campus that don't offer seat protectors.

A:

Studies are conclusive that STDs are not at all likely to be spread by toilet seats. If you are seeing a toilet seat that is soiled with urine, blood or fecal material, that is clearly something you don't want to come in contact with, but a dry toilet seat is considered safe without a seat protector. Drinking fountains likewise have never been found to be a source of infection, but no one would advocate that you have direct contact with your mouth.

Surveys of college students indicate that about 1/3 of students are choosing to remain sexually abstinent, meaning they are not having any genital contact with another person. Of sexually active individuals, the estimates are that at least 50% or more have Human Papilloma Virus (genital warts) and about 20-25% have a history of genital herpes. Less than 10% have chlamydia.

Sex is not risk-free, no question about it. However, there are definitely ways to reduce your risk if you do become active, or make it a priority to find individuals who are not sexually active and develop a long lasting monogamous relationship before becoming sexually active.