One of the most common things we hear at The STI Project is the misconception that people with STDs are promiscuous. The assumption is that, unless you’ve slept with a ton of people (whatever ‘a ton’ is), you won’t contract an infection. When, actually, the number of partners you have is only one of the […]
An Op-Ed about STD Stigma – Part 3
This essay was submitted anonymously after the author participated in the STI Interviews. This is part 3 of a 3 part series. Statistics help to show just how common STDs are. According to the CDC, genital herpes is one of the most common STDs, and in the United States, about 1 in 5 people are infected. […]
An Op-Ed about STD Stigma – Part 1
This essay was submitted anonymously after the author participated in the STI Interviews. This is part 1 of a 3 part series. Many people toss around jokes as if the only way they can get an STD is to sleep with tons of people. In high school, almost daily, girls bashed each other with names like […]
How STDs and The STI Project Have Impacted My Life
This guest post was written by NSH, a Facebook friend of Jenelle Marie’s who responded to her call for submissions asking friends, family and acquaintances for their perspectives about The STI Project and how their opinions have evolved as the website’s taken shape. NSH is currently living with an STI/STD. I Thought She Was Nuts I have […]
STDs: The Gift that Keeps on Giving? Shared Inspiration
They say, ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemon-aid,’ and in the land of all things STD – here at The STI Project – we like to make everyday sayings like that work for us. So, along the same vein, we believe a positive, inspirational message is a great way to make lemon-aid (or if […]
HSV2 – What I Have is Not What Defines Me – STI Interviews
This interview came in anonymously via the contact form and touches on a number of excellent ideas surrounding STDs and HSV2, in particular. While living with an STI/STD, we all encounter some of the same obstacles, and discovering we’re not alone via this kind of anonymous storytelling is a great way to learn how to […]
How My Opinions Have Changed About STDs and Those Who Have Them
This guest post was written by Bridget O’Flannagan, a Facebook friend of Jenelle Marie’s who responded to her call for submissions asking friends, family and acquaintances for their perspectives about The STI Project and how their opinions have evolved as the website’s taken shape. A ‘Pollyanna’ I wake up in the morning happy, in part, because […]
Herpes: If So Many People Have It, Why Is Everyone Afraid? Part 2
If genital herpes is usually so minor, should we even test for it? This is a debate that I often have with my colleagues. The medical community does not agree on the answer to this question. If someone has a painful genital sore, we all agree that testing is appropriate. It also makes sense if […]