Lawrence.com

What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico.

Unless, of course, you cross the border with a sexually transmitted disease. In that case, Mexico stays with you - in the form of strange discharges, swollen testicles, funky genital warts, chronic pelvic pain and infertility (not all at once, usually, but it sure looks scary when you lump them all together like that).

All of which led Maggie Kelley to enact one "very firm" policy for her spring break trip to Acapulco this year.

"I will just be going on spring break for the sun and to go out with my girlfriends," said Kelley, a junior at Kansas University. "I do not plan on having any hookups whatsoever ... It's not worth the risk of an STD when you're meeting someone for the first time."

Cuttin' loose

Kelly's policy - which she says she's adhered to on previous trips to Ft. Lauderdale and The Bahamas - is admirable given the often overlooked chances of contracting STDs like HIV/AIDS, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Genital Warts, Herpes, Syphilis et al.

College students in particular have reasons to be concerned. Statistics point to ages 15-25 as the most likely to contract STDs, and acquiring an STD at a young age could impact one's fertility and ability to have sex without pain later in life.

Then, of course, there's the obvious reason.

"People definitely go down there looking to get laid," said KU freshman Oliver Devlin, who will head to either Jamaica or Key West this year. "Or to get drunk with their friends and then get laid ... That's what spring break is, I guess - to cut loose and have fun."

That actuality is not lost on local nurse practitioners like Susan McDaneld, who often gets visits from students weeks or months after they return from a spring break trip.

"Usually it's, 'I was drinking and I did something stupid,'" said McDaneld, who works with Family Planning and STDs at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.

"Most kids go to Spring Break with a little bit of a disconnect," she said. "They're going to have fun, and it's not really connected to them coming back ... It happens frequently."

Raw deal

According to McDaneld, there are a number of misconceptions about STDs even amongst people who think they are educated. Some common ones are:

* Believing STDs are rare (actually 1 in 4 sexually active adults will become infected at some point)

* Believing STDs affect certain demographics more than others ("They're pretty democratic," she says)

* Believing STDs will be obvious to detect on a sexual partner

The last one can be the trickiest, she says, because half of those infected with Chlamydia and Gonorrhea show no symptoms and most STDs don't yield immediate physical evidence.

"A lot of these diseases don't have real jump-out-grab-you-and-make-you-hurt-symptoms," McDaneld said. "Probably the worst-case scenario would be an infection with Chlamydia when you're 20 making it so when you're 30 you want to get pregnant and can't."

Many STDs - such as genital HPV infections - are more notable for their psychological effects than their physical effects, McDaneld said.

"It's a real hit to your ego to have this warty growth on your genitals," she said. "And knowing that a sexual partner might see that."

Condom sense

While abstinence and using condoms are the most universally recognized techniques for stopping the spread of STDs (that includes oral sex, kiddies), there are certainly as many common-sense preventatives on the market.

According to KU sophomore Travis Connaway, much of the risk can be minimized by a simple evaluation of one's partner.

"If she look like she gets around and she acts that way, obviously you're going to be pretty cautious or just not go there," said Connaway, who went to South Padre last year.

He added: "I'm sure everybody's well-aware (of STDs), but when they get drunk they just don't care."

And if you're going to be irresponsible, at least be judiciously irresponsible, says KU junior Andrew Ozor.

"I'd say of anytime you're going to be wary of it, at least be careful during spring break," said Ozor, who will be heading to South Padre this year. "I would definitely use condoms; no question about it."