For the first time in Olin Health Center's history, health educators will be taking HIV testing out of Olin and into Wonders Hall to promote healthy sexuality.

HIV testing and sexually transmitted disease testing is one thing every student should get done, even if you aren't having sex.

One in every four college students have or has had a sexually transmitted disease, and that includes HIV. You can look around at four students in your class and think, "Yeah right." But these statistics don't come out of thin air.

Olin is offering a chance for you to get tested when you are available, after you are done with classes, eating or doing homework. It only takes about 30 minutes and it's free.

There are seven counselors providing priceless information to anyone who wants to get tested on a one-to-one basis, so no one has to know.

The scary part is that only 22 percent of the student body has been tested for HIV. So what is the other 78 percent of the student body doing?

Want to know another scary fact? If you have a cold sore on your mouth, you can indeed give genital herpes to your partner. And that can happen even if you have had a cold sore in the past but do not currently have one.

Two of the most common college-age sexually transmitted diseases are chlamydia and gonorrhea, and both have uncomfortable side effects and can be transmitted through oral, anal and vaginal sex.

More than three million people in the United States are infected with chlamydia each year. There are roughly about 45,000 students at MSU.

The rates for gonorrhea aren't as high, but women between the ages of 15 and 19 and men 20-24 have the highest rates of infection.

And girls, you need to be more careful because you are more likely to get an STD than a guy. Bacteria thrives in warm, moist places. If something funky is going on down there, get it checked out before it causes further complications.

The MSU party circuit is amazing and hooking up with randoms is going to happen, but be careful about it.

Two weeks down the road, bending over in so much pain that you can't walk because the bacteria from chlamydia has reached your appendix from messing around with someone you met at a bar isn't a situation you want to be in.

Melanie Thomas is the State News health reporter. She writes about your body every Thursday in the lowdown. Reach her at thoma450@msu.edu.