While infection rates in colleges and universities are high as well, I do not see the same kind of media attention being paid. Perhaps this is because we're legal adults by that time, and we "should know better" by now. Yet, if no one had the proper education in high school, I don't know how anyone expects freshmen to suddenly gain the knowledge mid-keg stand at the Welcome Week frat party. Maybe the "adults" think sexual education is like setting up a bank account or falling in love - no one really tells you how to do it or what to expect - you're just supposed to know.

It's this supposed automatic knowing that scares me as my friends and I try to navigate the real world. Just this week, some friends and I lamented that we are indeed getting older. One friend realized that in just a few short years he could be thinking about starting a family while another thought he'd be engaged by now. While both men are sexually active, neither  has gotten tested for STIs in the last year, and both have  been with women without even thinking to ask about sexual history/contraceptive safety - condoms are pretty much the only necessary key to a good time.

The United Nations defines youth as people ages 15 to 24, and at 23. I don't see myself as "old" by any means, nor do I feel like a full "adult." Yet, I recognize that I am no longer an adolescent, or even an undergraduate, and I can no longer seek refuge in juvenile excuses. Gone are the days where we can fully blame presidents, parents and policies for bad sex-ed and reproductive health. Unwanted pregnancies and STIs don't care and they don't discriminate.
The statistics are there: half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended; two-thirds of all STIs occur in people 25 and younger, and by age 24, one-third of sexually active people will have contracted an STI. Yet, so many of my friends put off testing, assume they're "clean," or even worse,  don't get tested because they're afraid of what the results might be. Others have sex without bothering to use any contraception.

I'm not going to pretend I'm absolved of doing the same, but I get tested every six months both despite and because of, such actions, and I also have an IUD.  The myth of invincibility is for high-schoolers. Maybe that's why the District recently just announced it will be offering free STI testing in all high schools. While we work on engaging in more open dialogue about sexuality, STIs and pregnancy prevention, it's time for older youth and young adults (20-24) in Western countries to recognize the risks, educate themselves, and accept responsibility for their actions. For those concerned about costs, Washington, D.C.'s Department of Health offers free testing for anyone.