Day 9 from the #UnashamedList. Written especially to support eg youth navigating issues like sexual integrity, porn addiction, sexual abuse, etc… Series intro here.
You’ve got to do it sometime.
I’m going to be honest. I don’t know if getting tested for STD’s is so normal now that it’s trend. I heard Trevor Noah (The Daily Show) joke once about Chlamydia and how everyone has it.
Oh really?
But if you’ve never been checked out and have been sexually active–from intercourse, to just oral sex– Get. Yourself. Checked.
I remember sitting in a clinic scared to death, waiting for the results. A friend was with me also getting checked (more on this in Day 8).
We were lucky; both away at Summer College programme, away from homes, schools, moms.
The testing was anonymous and free, and we’d be the only ones to know our result. They made it easy for us, and rightly so.
Every barrier should be down when it comes to this kind of testing. It needs to get done. It’s not just about you but also others you may be involved with.
Getting a negative result on everything was insane and I’m so grateful.
But it doesn’t go this way for everyone.
As a youth empowerment and protection advocate, especially re. sexual abuse prevention, I’ve learned a hidden reality of STDS and HIV:
How much is a result of sexual abuse or exploitation?
Groups like Smashstreet Boys are on the frontlines of exposing this link (they do much more, eg w/photography and art), but the topic still remains taboo.
Side Note: In the entire US, only 2 official centers exist to help boys/men recover from sexual abuse and exploitation, one of which is simply an initiative from a regular couple.
Take it to Heart: Hook-Ups are No Joke.
It can be so hard, but taking a friend, or someone helps, I know. (And if you think you’re alone, think again: more people care about you than you know. <3)
Whatever the outcome, be assured: you’re loved, valuable, and your worth hasn’t changed.
A $10 bill crumpled or dropped in the mud is still a $10 bill. And you are Priceless.
<3
Check back tomorrow for the final post in this #UnashamedList series, 10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me.
-Series start + full days list here.
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Hey, I’m Jasmine, about to get coffee, and wondering: Is anything resonating? Do I have it wrong? Or do you have any Life & Sex lessons you wish you knew sooner? Post a comment or msg me. Pls also share this series further. <3
Related Posts
- Unashamed List: Good Lord, Am I Sharing This?!
- Day 2: More to Life than Sex & Filters
- Day 4: Smashing/Hook-ups: Practice Does NOT Make Perfect
- Day 5: The “Everything but Sex” approach Doesn’t Work
- Day 6: Never Be Ashamed..
- Stay the Same or “Show Up”
- God’s Halloween Costume: Trick or Treet, What’s Your Worth?
Image Credits:
-Cover image: by me, w/modified base photo from Annie Spratt (unsplash)
-Still of Chris Pratt besting some raptors, Jurassic World movie
-Spoonful of Sugar gif from Mary Poppins movie (1964), gif sourced here.