RISE Blog | Destigmatizing STIs

By: Collin Guilbeau and Katelyn Lilley, Peer Educators
October 29th, 2020

Chlamydia. Syphilis. Gonorrhea. HIV. Herpes. HPV.

Chances are, you've heard these terms in presentations, in classrooms, from friends, or even from medical professionals. All of the above are infections that fall under the category of sexually transmitted infections. These words might seem pretty scary and you might be inclined not to talk about them, however, today's post is all about sharing some wisdom that might help you learn more about sexually transmitted infections.

Sexually Transmitted Infections are (usually) not anything to panic about. In fact, they are considered typical, are treatable, and something you should not fear should you get one. We want to encourage you to, rather than feel fearful, to become informed!

Let's start with the basics: What are STIs?

According to the CDC, Sexually Transmitted Infections are among the most common infections reported each year worldwide (1). They can be contacted and spread through any form of sexual contact, but STIs are usually easily treatable with a quick trip to the doctor's office and some medication. However, if left untreated, STIs can lead to many different issues, including painful sex, infertility, and cervical cancer.

Stigma

Let's think about it: why are we so afraid of these infections? More specifically, why are we so scared to talk about them? When we catch other infections such as the flu, a common cold, or strep throat, we don't immediately feel embarrassed. However, when the infection is transmitted sexually, we tend to get uncomfortable.... why is this?

The answer is simple: sex.

Social norms surrounding sex have shaped the way our society views STIs. These norms range from various sources, but here we'll focus on two specifically: sexism and multiple partners.

Stigma's root in sexism

In 1982, Time Magazine labeled Herpes as "Today's Scarlet Letter." Whether we care to admit it or not, this still seems to be the mindset surrounding most sexually transmitted infections today, and women take on much of the stigma. Our society often deems women as "dirty" or somehow less moral for having sex while not projecting those same notions onto straight men. This, in turn, makes catching an STI much scarier for women, who may feel shame for contracting one (hence the "Scarlet Letter").

Shame should never be felt when it comes to STIs since there are literally an estimated 20 million new cases in the United States each year of different STIs as stated by the CDC (2). If 20 million seems like a lot- that's because it is. While it's easy to write about numbers, it's more difficult to have open and honest conversations – but that's the only way we can begin to combat these stigmas.

Stigma's root in multiple partners

You may have heard that having sex with multiple or many people increases your chance of contracting an STI. The truth is this belief is not entirely true. You can safely have sex with as many consenting people as you desire as long as you take the correct precautions.

In fact, the main reason why people catch STIs is that they are engaging in unprotected sex. Unprotected sex is any sex that does not include a condom or other means of protection. People who think that they are safe from or immune to STIs are less likely to use protection during sex, which is how STIs spread. A person only needs to have unprotected sex with one person to contract an STI.

Most people are scared to find out that they have an STI, but we want to remind you that it is totally okay to find out that you have an STI. The critical thing to remember is that all STIs are currently treatable, and having an STI is no longer a death sentence.

If someone discloses to you that they have an STI, the best thing that you can do is to set up an appointment to get tested. At RISE, we have specific resources to let you know of testing options here in Lubbock (3), and most treatment options for specific STIs are relatively inexpensive. In fact, they are sometimes included in the cost of the test.

STIs are nothing to be ashamed of, but there are ways to prevent them!

What can you do to prevent STIs?

You can use three types of prevention: fluid bonding, medicine or vaccine preventatives, and barrier methods.

Fluid Bonding:

You have probably heard of or engaged in fluid bonding before without knowing what it was called! Fluid bonding is whenever you and another person commit to being in a relationship where all participants involved can get tested for STIs until everybody comes back negative. Once these tests are negative, then you engage in sex with this person knowing that you won't contract an STI since you know neither of the two parties involved has STIs to spread.

The only risk of this is if one of the participants engages in sex outside of the fluid bonding circle or if one of the participants was infected with an STI but didn't have enough of the infection to test positive on a test. Certain STIs have more extended incubation periods than others. For example, HIV can have an incubation period of up to 1-3 months (or longer in rare occasions) depending on which test you are receiving.

Medicine or Vaccine Preventatives:

HIV and HPV can both be prevented by medications or by vaccines.

The HPV vaccine is most easily prevented by a vaccine that you can usually get at your local pharmacy or doctor's office. HPV is very easily spread, so many doctors often encourage people to get the vaccine because it acts as a preventative measure for all humans. In fact, most sexually active people will catch some form of HPV in their lifetime, and there are a few strains of the human papillomavirus that can lead to dangerous forms of cancer. The vaccine that one receives for HPV is one that will prevent your body from contracting that kind of cancer.

The medicinal preventative for HIV is available through prescription and is recommended for populations at the highest risk. These populations include men who have sex with other men, individuals who may use unsanitary needles, or people who go to underdeveloped areas where HIV rates are high.

Barrier Method:

You're probably used barrier methods as well without knowing that they are called that. The barrier method is basically anything that creates a barrier between your body/fluids and the other person's body/fluids. Typical forms of the barrier method are internal condoms, external condoms, and dental dams.

• External condoms are the most popular and most well-known, often used interchangeably with all condoms as a whole, but there is also the internal condom!
• An internal condom can be used both intravaginal and intrarectal. Internal condoms can be a useful preventative for spontaneous decisions because they can be placed in the desired area ahead of time.
• A dental dam is basically a rectangle of plastic that is typically flavored that you can put over a vagina or anus when engaging in oral sex. The dental dam prevents the exchange of fluids between the two people involved so that no STIs are transmitted via this method.

To learn more about how to properly use all three of these barrier methods, check out the link below to the CDC website, which shows diagrams and instructions (4)! If you need any of these barrier methods, the RISE office always has different kinds available to come and grab.

So, to wrap up (no pun intended)

When engaging in sex, it is essential to always ask the person if they have been tested for STIs or if they have any STIs currently. All sexually active people who are not in monogamist relationships should get tested every three months for STIs, as recommended by the CDC. Asking someone if they have an STI is entirely normal and is a conversation that you and your partner should readily have if you believe you are ready for sex.

As a person, you have the right to know if the person you are having sex with has tested HIV positive. With current advances in medicine, a person who has tested positive for HIV can live entirely in everyday life and have sex with others without spreading the disease as long as they stay strict with their antiretroviral medications. If someone knowingly has HIV but does not disclose this to you, they can face legal troubles. If you want more information about these laws and others, head to the CDC the link below (5).

If you are scared to disclose to someone that you have tested positive for an STI, know that there are many resources to help you through this process! But the most important thing RISE wants people to understand is that no one should be shamed for contracting an STI. Let's normalize the process of having healthy discussions with each other!

 

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