Dear Dr. Date,
First off, I feel strange actually writing in to you, Dr. Date. But this is my situation, and I could use some advice.
Two weeks ago I met this really sweet and nice guy. I usually don’t date frat guys, but he is one. Secondly, I was not looking for a relationship, but found him anyway. We went out on a date, and I shacked a couple nights. We ended up sleeping together. We didn’t really talk about our past relationships with each other. The only thing mentioned was that he had slept with only two other girls. I, however, did not respond. I have slept with 12 men. My question is, should I inform him of my past?
I know that I have no STDs because I get checked on a regular basis. I don’t know if I should wait until he asks me or if I should tell him up front. And if he does want to know, should I be honest? I am really starting to like this guy and I don’t want to hurt him or lose him. Please help.
— Haunted by the Past

Before our current STD epidemic, it wasn’t necessary to divulge any information about our sexual pasts. Of course, it was precisely this behavior that caused the epidemic. Your situation is very complicated. Yes, you should be honest. The real question is how honest. Each person has his own limit of how much past information they can stomach before it starts to bother them. There are dates out there that would love to know all about each one of your 12 sexual partners in great detail. There are also guys that would rather think of you as a virgin.
Does he need to know you’ve had sex before? Yes.
Does he need to know you’ve checked out clean? Yes, but both of you should know that many STDs cannot be reliably detected through tests. An STD can show no symptoms and still spread from one person to another. Don’t take a clean test result as an license to practice unsafe sex.
Does he need to know you slept with 12 other guys? Probably not.
Does he need to know the size of each man’s penis? No.
Do both of you need to know about Dr. Date’s Spring Mixer? Yes — it is a swinging affair developed to foster a more productive campus dating environment. The last mixer drew a crowd of 2,200 people! Mark your appointment books today! Friday, May 14 at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum. The mixing will begin promptly at 8 p.m., and it won’t stop until midnight. Don’t forget to send in your “Why I want to be a Love Nurse” essay. You could be a Love Nurse!