There’s been a lot of sex news in The Daily Utah Chronicle lately. Why not? It’s February-love month-and there’s probably been a lot of, you know, sex happening.

There are a lot of theories on who should have sex, when, why and even where. It is not the place of a newspaper to pick sides. The purpose of The Chronicle is to inform about and provide a forum for discussion of these issues.

So here’s what’s up: a lot of sex has been goin’ on and there are risks, physically and emotionally, that U students should be aware of.

Safe sex isn’t just wise and healthy, it’s also ethical. Recent news on the New York man who has a strain of HIV that progresses to AIDS ridiculously fast and is resistant to three out of four types of anti-viral medication is scaring everyone.

That man may, unintentionally, be responsible for the deaths of a lot of people he cared about. While AIDS may be the most serious risk associated with sex, there are lots others.

Sexually transmitted diseases are always a threat (and a source for questionable humor). A recent full-page ad in The Chronicle identified the warning signs and treatment options for genital warts. Lovemaking is nice, but warts are not. Be safe or be sorry.

There’s just no excuse not to use a condom. Safety gets a bad rap from our Tom Cruise in Top Gun lovin’ culture, but cracked heads result from not wearing helmets and diseases result from unprotected sex.

What if you don’t get sick? There’s still the possibility of, as Seinfeld put it, “slipping one past the goalie.” Human life is really, really serious.

Larry Flint, Hugh Hefner and television have succeeded in convincing our generation sex is a recreational activity. If that’s how you see it, fine, but take it seriously. Why are skydivers so careful? Because life is at stake. Take the same precaution when what you’re doing could create a life.

Emotionally speaking, Flint, Hefner and Jennifer Aniston’s “Friends” never make clear how incautious sex can leave one or both partners feeling like worthless pieces of trash.

Respecting the human body also means respecting feelings. Make sure the act of sex has the same meaning for everyone involved.

Sure, hormones can sometimes cause sex to “just happen.” However, that’s all the more reason to be prepared to take the appropriate precautions. There really is no excuse for spreading disease or messing with someone else’s life.