I’m not one for extended foreplay so I’ll cut to the chase. I’m a typical college student at a public university and yes it’s true, I like sex. I don’t just like sex, I love to talk about it. Whether it’s one-night stands, acts of hallcest, a spring break hookup or love eternal, sex is as much a part of college as eating Top Ramen and hating your roommate’s obsession with World of Warcraft. Sex is awesome to talk about and so it will be a topic I approach with pride and honor.

For starters, I’ll be forward: Not all sex is created equal. I have had my fair share of lazy partners and horrible hookups. But let’s be honest; whether it’s a between-class quickie or an all-night love fest with your long-term mate, sex isn’t good sex without protection.

Or is it? If you’re like myself &- and a lot of other college students &- the answer to that question is an obvious one. The contraception of choice? Bulletproof vest, rubber, raincoat, Trojans, or, as I have even heard it called of late, “war helmet.”

Whatever the term used in your social circle, condoms are a popular form of contraception used campus- and countrywide. However, I have heard more and more about a growing trend in “going bareback.” For those of us who aren’t up on Urban Dictionary, going bareback is a term used when you aren’t using a condom. It’s a concept that shocks me, which is hard to do.

Don’t get me wrong – I understand the temptation. Condoms aren’t fun, they don’t feel great and they aren’t exactly sexy. But the alternatives aren’t much better. I don’t know about everyone else, but ending up on a midday television special waiting to hear paternity test results from a middle-aged man is not my idea of sexy.

So why is it more and more students are willing to roll those proverbial dice? Condoms are evolving and now more than ever I really don’t see the problem with them. They come in every flavor, color and size. There are even some condoms that can help to spice up the already steamy situation you’re in. So be it ribbed, warming, extra-lubricated, ultra thin or sour apple tango, there is a condom to meet your every need.

Even so, is there a time when, Hefner forbid, condoms aren’t a necessity? The circumstance may arise when you’re tempted to enter the proverbial octagon without a head guard. Maybe you’re caught in the heat of the moment and the drugstore is miles away. Or you finally got the hot guy from room 3032 to ask you out and over dinner he confesses to have a self-diagnosed latex allergy. Whatever the reason your alternatives should be something you have talked about beforehand. Nothing, and I mean nothing, ruins the mood like stopping mid-hookup to have the “Didn’t you bring a condom?” conversation.

Going bareback seems like risky business, and if its growing popularity becomes a trend among the collegiate world, we might be looking at the arrival of the next baby boomer generation. Working part-time and scrambling to pay for a 15 percent tuition increase is hard enough without the added stress of spending finals week worried about ingrown hairs and missed periods.

Not convinced? Then let me say this much: College is all about making educated, calculated decisions and uncalculated screw ups. Sex plays a huge role in getting that experienced balance of good and ugly decisions. Condoms can prevent these ugly decisions from becoming the biggest mistake of your life. However, if you find it impossible to recall high school health class, do yourself a favor and stay home to watch reruns of Maury and Springer. It might just be the most calculated decision you ever make.