The U.S. has broken another record! Any guesses as to what it is? Okay, I’ll kill the unnecessary suspense. The U.S. has broken the record for the number of diagnosed cases of STD/STIs to date. This is extremely prevalent in the three most common STDs: chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. Now this can be seen as a good and a very, very bad thing that has occurred. It is good because it means that more people are being tested which is increasing the data that the CDC is able to use to bring us this new information, but it’s bad because it means more people are having risky sex.
I’m going to throw my two cents in on why I think this is such an epidemic lately and why it is growing so common even with the readily available information on these possibly life changing STDs. Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Hinge, etc. are all different dating apps which is a fad that is on the rise as people are less likely to meet their partners in their everyday life than online most days. One quick swipe and you’re chatting with a hottie down the road who thinks you’re cute and wants to hookup and in your haste to quench you ever growing teenage hormones you jump into bed (or the car) with someone you don’t know, you have sex and you go home. No harm done right? Wrong.
Did you notice all the important aspects of safe sex that were left out of that scenario? No one asked what the others’ status was. No one asked if they had been tested within the past six weeks. No one asked if the other had a condom or said that they would only engage in any sexual acts with proper protection and no one makes plans to get tested afterwards. It is the carelessness shown in a simple scenario like this that helps to contribute to the rapid spread of STDs.
It is so important to make it clear that you expect your partner to be tested recently and regularly and that you make it a priority yourself to be tested regularly especially when changing partners. The biggest mistake people make is believing that condoms can protect you from everything, but that’s not true. Yes they are a great way to protect you and your partner, but if there is even a small amount of skin to skin contact, or if there is oral contact with someone carrying STD/STIs, they can be transferred between partners. So it is imperative that even when using protection that you get tested because there is a small chance that you could get something, and it is better to catch it early and be aware than to accidently pass it to someone else.
Yes, I know that getting tested is awkward and makes people uncomfortable, but it really shouldn’t. You should be proud and embrace that you are taking charge and making sure that your sexual health is one of your top priorities. In school we are taught, “no is the best answer,” but we aren’t told that getting tested is the only way to make sure that you haven’t been exposed to a STD/STI by your partner. We as women are not really told that some STDs can make you sterile if you don’t catch them early enough or that they can sometimes be dormant or have little to no symptoms to warn you that something is wrong. This is why even if you don’t have symptoms YOU STILL NEED TO GET TESTED.
This commonplace risky sex with people we don’t know cannot continue to be the norm. It cannot continue to be the norm to assume that everyone is doing what is right and allowing yourself to be at risk because you don’t want to come off as pushy or a prude. It is our responsibility as women to ensure that men treat our bodies with respect, and if that means having a conversation first about getting tested or buying your own condoms and requesting a guy to use them, that is perfectly okay.
Put yourself first and make sure you are always practicing safe sex because safe sex really is great sex in the end.
If you or anyone you know is looking for a free or affordable place to get tested in the Blacksburg/Roanoke area here are some contacts:
Bradley Health Clinic
1240 3rd Street SW Roanoke, VA 24016 540-344-5156
Drop In Center
356 Campbell Ave SW
Roanoke, VA 24016
United States
540-982-2437
Schiffert Health Center & Women’s Clinic
Schiffert: 540-231-6444
Women’s Clinic: 540-231-6569
Women’s Center at VT
540-231-7806
Yellow house at 206 Washington Street
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