As a freshman, you hear stories about health class from the upperclassmen on a regular basis. But you never know what to expect.

When it was our turn, we filed in with eager faces and forced smiles. A cheerful young woman stood at the front of the room beaming. With the sound of ringing in our ears, we flowed into our seats. Naturally, she began to talk about the one thing all freshman discuss but, for some reason, clam up around adults when mentioned.

“Sex.” Her voice was strong, yet friendly. “Let’s talk about what you know. Raise your hand if you know the answer to the following statement. For the best sex for him and her, slip on one of these.”

Red blotches of embarrassment rushed over the class. No one spoke; no one dared look around.

Suddenly she uncovered a picture of wedding bands on the board. The picture shocked most of the class but also made sense. It was that moment that I realized what choice I had to make.

Some parents tell their children they’re too young to worry about sex right now, but right now is the perfect time. All week my class had guest speakers lecturing us on abstinence, STDs, and other topics. As I think about my future, I know I do not want to die young because of reckless teen behavior. I have decided to wait until marriage to have a sex life. No excuses.

By following this way of life, I will be bettering myself and my future. Teen pregnancy and STDs are all too common. Why would you want to take that risk? Everyone has a choice, and you should think seriously about sex before you let it just happen. It is your life, your decisions. Do you want them to be mistakes or rewards?