When you think about girl sex, the first thing that comes to mind is not usually your potential for risk or needing to practice safer sex. In some ways, that makes sense: unplanned pregnancies are not a concern when you’re a girl who’s enjoying sex with another girl, so traditional contraception geared toward planned conception […]
My Herpes > Your Self-Loathing – A Love Letter to a Family Member
Angry rant/train wreck commences now: So, without naming names, it’s been brought to my attention that, 3+ years ago, when I launched The STI Project, a family member called my employer to ‘tattle’ on me – they wanted to make sure the Fortune 300 company I was working for knew what I was doing, because they […]
HSV2 – Going to be Forever Alone – STI Interviews
The number one concern we hear when someone is first diagnosed is that they’ll never find a partner who’s willing to accept that they have a long-term infection. While we never say never here at The STI Project, that fear is not at all unfounded. Getting diagnosed with an STI – in this case, HSV2 […]
HSV2 – I Have Lost My Confidence – STI Interviews
Interestingly, STI stigma – and in this case, HSV2 stigma – often transcends intimate relationships and can trickle into one’s public, professional, and social personas. Contracting an infection carries such immense shame that it can deteriorate confidence in all facets of life, not just the intimate ones. As this interviewee points out, she’s not only […]
What It’s Like to Get STD Testing Done with a Private Provider
At The STI Project, we make a point to personally try all of the services or products we recommend on our site. Our policy is that if we do not believe in the efficacy of the product or service, we don’t suggest it to our readers. It’s as simple as that. Last month, I had […]
HSV1 – You Can Lead a Fearless Life – STI Interviews
Having been imprisoned in my own shame and fear for years as well as being very brazen about my experiences now, I’ve seen both sides of the herpes closet… It wasn’t until I stepped out that I realized how severely I had been entrenched in my own stigma. It’s amazing how coming out about your past can shed an entirely […]
The STD Testing Guy – When I Grow Up
This guest post was written by one of our contributors, STD Testing Expert and Founder & President of Boston Microfluidics, Brandon T. Johnson. On February 24th of this year, Boston Microfluidics officially hired a new CEO, which means, for the first time in a long time, I’m NOT the CEO. I have mixed feelings, of […]
HSV1 & HSV2 – I Refused to Accept It – STI Interviews
Few things cause more trepidation about the future and situations that have not yet or might never take place than an STD diagnosis. The most common fear among those who are living with a long term infection is that of telling new partners and the rejection they assume is inevitable. While I cannot promise those fears […]