Editor’s Note: This column is in response to Joshua Huff’s Oct. 26 column, “Abstinence has its merits too.” To read that column, visit OUDaily.com.

For the first time since I have been writing for The Daily, I actually found myself surprised by the quality of another column written for the opinion section. Joshua Huff – good job.

Your “Abstinence has its merits too” was not the same god-awful, Christian prattle that I have come to expect when people tackle issues like this. There may have actually been a few decent points buried in there. That constitutes high praise, coming from me.

Now I must destroy you.

Sex. That good old fashioned, warm, soft, sweaty, flesh on flesh, little slice of heaven is not worth abstaining from for so many reasons, I can’t even hope to list a reasonable fraction of them in a short op-ed piece.

First, I need to get a couple things out of the way.

Number one, I am not going to be addressing religious convictions in this article. I will simply say that people should not look to a religious organization for factual (scientific method) information on sex. Ever.

That’s like going to soldiers seeking an explanation of the virtues of pacifism.

Number two, I am talking about sex between two honest, consenting adults, who are actually willing to be responsible and use some form of birth control.

I should make sure that I am clear on this matter.

Claiming you don’t have a condom, then admitting you have one so your partner will have sex with you, then bitching about how you can’t feel anything and rubber banding the condom across the room once both of you are into it, does not constitute safe sex.

Before you start messing around with the holiest of holies, make sure you’re bagging it.

I cannot stand the thought of inadvertently contributing to some of the crackbrained mongols I encounter around this campus reproducing.

That being said, there is a plethora of great health benefits to having sex on a regular basis. Research has shown that regular sex can relieve stress, boost one’s immune system, provide a good workout, improve heart health, reduce risks of certain types of cancers, relieve pain and improve a person’s quality of sleep.

And those are just the benefits that are widely agreed upon.

Now I understand the various arguments that people make in claiming that casual sex can undermine relationships or marriage. However, I think that most of the typical arguments have it ass-backwards.

I will acknowledge that previous lovers can undermine some relationships. However, I don’t believe that this is because a penis was inserted into a vagina. It’s a reflection of the perception of what a penis inside a vagina entails in our sexually repressed society.

The people that have the most problems with the idea that their partners have had prior casual sexual experiences are the people that believe that sex must entail a wide variety of emotions that simply don’t occur in many contexts.

Even if there is emotional attachment, so what? If you loved/liked/hated someone before, does that mean you can’t experience that emotion again?

If your relationship suffers because one or both parties are jealous or insecure as a result of prior sexual histories, then it is sexual immaturity, not sex itself that is hurting your relationship.

Conversely, sex can help a relationship tremendously. I honestly pity those people who are virgins on their wedding night.

Think of us as unique little sexual snowflakes. We all have different things that get us off.

I would hate to find out that a person that I just made a lifetime commitment to thinks that grooming her short and curlies is ostentatious, and can only experience orgasms after a straight hour of oral sex.

Personally, my tongue and jaw cramp after a while.

I would think that it would be equally terrible for a woman to discover that her husband is a short order cook that insists that his favorite time to be fellated is right after he has just run a marathon.

Sexual compatibility is a crucial aspect of any relationship, whether we want to admit it or not. However, it is not the only aspect.

This is why the best lover of your life is not necessarily the person you want to commit to.

The best lover I’ve ever had was a girl that didn’t want a relationship with me, and I didn’t want one with her. We were both clear about our intentions from the outset, and we parted ways amicably some time ago with no regrets.

The key to this was our being forthcoming.

If casual sex is all you want from a relationship, you better make that clear to the other party, otherwise you are taking advantage. And those of you that take advantage, guys and girls, are screwing it up for the rest of us when you leave confusion and wounded hearts in your wake.

Even after having numerous partners, I am currently involved and in love with a wonderful girl. Ironically, I actually have had to give up sex for many months at a time, as we have been involved in a long-distance relationship for almost a year. And we have remained faithful.

Our previous sexual experiences have made us individually more confident and assertive lovers who are more capable of expressing our sexual identities to each other.

So let’s all take a step back and stop criticizing one another for indulging in the most basic bliss of the human condition.

Instead, let us celebrate sex so that we might strengthen our relationships, better ourselves as lovers and keep on practicing so that we might make perfect. Look around after you finish reading this article. I bet you can spot at least one person in dire need of a good orgasm.

Footnote: If you are sexually active, make sure to get regular STD screenings. A little blood in a vial and pee in a cup is your small price to pay for this beautiful human expression.