I’m going to keep my mouth shut (no pun intended), unlike the last time I got on this particular soapbox.

Scary but true, from the April 6 Associated Press news wire:

A new online study of 1,155 people ages 18-35 indicated about 84 percent believed they adequately protected themselves against STDs, but nearly half engage in unprotected sex. Approximately 47 percent of the respondents never used protection for vaginal sex, 82 percent never used protection for oral sex, and 64 percent never used protection for anal sex, according to the study conducted by the American Social Health Association.

The survey—which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent—showed that about 93 percent believed their current or most recent partner did not have an STD, yet around one of three people have never discussed STDs with their partner. More than two-thirds of respondents, or 68 percent, worried little about contracting an STD.

“What surprised us and distressed us is the fact that so many young adults believe that they are not at risk of a sexually transmitted disease and they don’t believe that their sexual partner is at risk,” noted Dr. James Allen, ASHA resident and a former assistant US surgeon general. “They don’t talk with their partner about whether they may or may not be at risk. So they’re simply making assumptions.”

The study also found that more than half of the people interviewed were unsure of their vaccination status or said they had not been vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. “Those are the only two STDs - hepatitis A and hepatitis B - that are vaccine preventable and they need to talk to their doctor about that if they’re at risk,” said Allen. Around half of the respondents said they did not know those forms of hepatitis could be sexually transmitted. ASHA said more than 1.25 million Americans have hepatitis B.