Sex is an important element of an adult relationship, but who says you literally have to die for it? Protect yourself and your partner by going over each other's sexual history. This does not one fun conversation make, but it's unavoidable. Here are three basic ways to go about it:

1. Talk about it forthrightly. Do not discuss collectible mantel clocks with her, only to sneak in "Have you had yourself tested for STDs?" in the middle of the conversation. Leave the discussion of unique wall clocks to salesmen and grandmothers. Rather, ask her what kind of protection she is using or would prefer. This approach could swing two ways: she could take your lead and discuss contraception objectively, or she might be offended. If it's the latter, look her in the eye and tell her as gravely as you can, "I don't want to be irresponsible about this." This tells her you're careful about who you sleep with, and won't jump into bed with just about anyone.

2. Hand her your most recent screening result. An urbane chick would take this in stride, laugh over the fact that you came "prepared," and perhaps even whip out her own record. Other girls might not react so favorably, however, so be prepared to summon with your most somber game face and say, "I care about you. I made sure I'm clean."

3. If you're with a small-town girl, or a Southern belle, or an Asian fresh out of a connecting plane, you just might have to talk about world time clocks first. Odds are, she would cringe at frank discussions of her sexual history. In fact, she might even throw shoes at you for daring to think she's been with so many men she could be carrying something. What to do in this case? Draw her out with questions about past loves.

A woman's dating patterns could be a good barometer of her sexual history. Ask her how long her past relationships lasted, how these ended, and whether or not she has cheated or had been cheated on. If your partner jumped from one relationship to another - five, in fact - in a span of two years, you could pretty much leap to conclusions, though. Just because your Vietnamese cutie has had only one relationship her whole life does not mean she doesn't carry anything. After all, all it takes is one time for an infection to be transmitted. Then too, she might have been faithful, but was he?

Remember, nobody and no body is ever worth dying for. O might be way ahead of S in the alphabet, but when it comes to relationships, safety - not earth-shaking orgasm - should come first.