There are two things human beings do very well: run their mouths and, ahem, procreate.

Trust me, right now someone in this world, actually many people, are getting their collective freak on, in familiar and unfamiliar ways. There are people who should be having sex as well as people who shouldn't (at least not with each other). Throughout the 2-million-year history of our species, every generation got here through the act of coitus and nobody asked, "Was it good for you, baby?" because we were boning before we had learned to talk.

But, oddly enough, in modern times, we put far more societal emphasis on people flapping their jaws than people slapping their loins. The result is a lot less sex education than we need and reports like the one from the Centers for Disease Control noting that sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise -- particularly since the Bush administration did everything it could to eliminate sex ed from classrooms.

The fact that last year marked the highest number of chlamydia cases ever reported (1.2 million), and syphilis seems to be making a comeback (despite being nearly annihilated a decade ago), points to lax attitudes about our sexual health. (Note: I don't believe in terms, like "safe sex," because your sexual behavior should be a part of your overall outlook on health.)

Now the scariest part about the increasing chlamydia rate is that it is most prevalent among teenage girls and African Americans. President George W. Bush insisted that the best sex ed was "abstinence only" instruction, and technically, he was right. The only sure fire way to not get pregnant or go home with extra luggage is to keep your Skivvies on all times.

But how many teens actually do that?

Don't get me wrong, we'd all like to think our teenage daughters are "saving it" and that our young sons are waiting for "the one." The truth is, though, that's not realistic. We've become more liberal about sex. So why shouldn't our approach to sex education reflect that?

This isn't to say that we should be making the 'Kama Sutra' a high school textbook (besides it probably wouldn't replace 'Juggs' in any boy's locker anyway). But we should be teaching young people to be responsible with their bodies, to respect themselves. It's imperative that they understand that sex isn't a toy or a weapon, and that like anything else, there is a consequence for their choices. Most importantly, we should teach them that if they do choose sex, there are alternatives to "barebacking it" that would protect them in the short and long term.

Now, I know there are a lot of people who disagree with me wholeheartedly on this matter, primarily because of their political or religious views. But I've gotta challenge them with this: I've seen urban clinics passing out condoms, giving out birth control advice and dispensing literature on sexual health, which significantly help reduce the number of STDs and teen pregnancies in entire communities -- but they are constantly fighting for funds and resources to do their work.

On the other hand, every black community I know is full of preachers and politicians, and I have yet to hear any of them report that they actually prevented the spread of HIV, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital warts or any other disease or helped reduce teen pregnancy. But there always seems to magically be funding and resources for them.

So, yeah, this post is more parental-discretion-advised, but believe me, I can't even get as blunt as I'd like to. Still the message is that when it comes to our health, knowledge is to overall prevention what Viagra is to... well, you know.