Going to college is all about furthering your education, but it’s more than just what you learn in the classroom. What information you have and how you use it is important for any adult.

Sex education is no different.

American young adults have the highest rates of teenage pregnancies, abortions, child births and sexually transmitted diseases compared to other developed countries, according to an Oct. 5 Kernel article.

And college students are not exempt from those statistics.

The health services at Columbia University released a report this year that found 20 to 25 percent of college students are carriers or have been infected by an STD.

Look around your large lecture class in Memorial Hall or White Hall Classroom Building; there are at least 10 seats in a row.

Think about it: At least two of those seats could be occupied with someone who has been exposed to an STD.

And just one episode of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” is a good example of why unplanned pregnancies are a serious problem among young adults.

There’s a whole series devoted to these teenagers, and it’s a popular show.

The only way to be absolutely sure you are not putting yourself at risk to unwanted pregnancies and STDs is abstinence. This is probably what you’ve heard from everyone — your parents, your doctor and the commercials that run on MTV as part of its safe sex campaign, “It’s Your (Sex) Life.”

But choosing an abstinence lifestyle is not the choice all college students are going to make. So what’s the next best step to preventing yourself from becoming a sexual health statistic?

Being well informed.

From Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, UK was host to the first Sex Week on campus, a week of events dedicated to students’ sexuality and being informed and educated about all things sex.

Students were reminded with Sex Week it’s their responsibility to take control of their sex education and make sure they are practicing safe sex, whether they believe they are or not.

You might think you know all the facts about sex, but you probably don’t.

There are a lot of myths floating around about sex, many of which can put someone’s health at risk if taken seriously. That women can’t get pregnant when they are menstruating and that condoms provide protection from all STDs are common misconceptions of sex made by young adults.

The only way to be safe when you choose to have sex is to get the facts straight and make smart decisions. Learn how to properly use a condom, explore your options for safer sex and don’t be afraid to ask your partner about his or her sexual history.

Be smart about your sex life and make sure you take advantage of all the sexual health resources available. The decisions you make now about sex will affect you for the rest of your life.