I pray that you will publish this letter for its potential to save lives physically, emotionally and spiritually. Today (Mar. 27), I was most disturbed with the article “Birds, bees and plenty of sex,” written by Brian Johnson. Mr. Johnson is evidently not aware of the true facts regarding promiscuous sex. I do not want to make the choice for anyone, just inform them of the consequences of that choice. I don’t want anyone to say ‘I never knew, now I have cervical cancer,’ or ‘I have HIV, nobody told me.’ After reading this, you will know the risks you will be taking jumping into bed with someone, trusting that condom to protect you. I like this quote by Pam Stenzel, former director of Alphs Woman’s Center, “Going 90 miles around a hairpin turn is not safe. Putting on a seat belt makes it safer, but wouldn’t it be better still to slow down?”

That slowing down is abstinence till marriage. It is the only way to remain safe and pure. It works 100%, every time, without question.

“But I was wearing a condom, I can’t have HIV,” is a familiar saying heard at clinics everywhere. A condom is supposed to protect you from HIV, gonorrhea, clap, herpes, scabies and the multitude of STDs right? Right! But condoms fail. Many of you were probably born the result of a failed condom. With a 20to 30 percent risk of a condom breaking during sex, who wants to risk it? If the failure rate were only 1 percent, would you still take the risk? Would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute that only failed 1 percent of the time? The condom is eventually going to fail; there is no trick that will protect you. It only takes once. You have no excuse.

Have you ever heard of HPV? The Human Papilloma Virus, better known as genital warts, is more than a blemish on the genitalia. It is also a leading cause of cervical and other types of cancers. It is contracted through genital contact. Wearing a condom will not protect you in any way from this disease. If you have sex with someone who has it, you will get it. Though the symptoms are treatable, the virus remains. You will have this for the rest of your life and it will spread to those you have sexual contact with. Want to be married someday? Want to explain this to a future mate?

Want to live guilt and disease free? Want to protect your spouse from STDs? Save yourself sexually for the one you marry. Virginity is not a dirty word; it’s a beautiful one. Do I want to marry a girl who I know has been with other guys? Do I care if she is experienced in the art of lovemaking? No. I want a girl who is pure, free from guilt, free from disease. She must insist the same from me. Brian Johnson’s “fun syndrome” tries to persuade us to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate. Well, any day I can be like Brian Johnson. But Brian Johnson will never again be like me.

Nathaniel Hurst

Sophomore

Computer Engineering