Michelle has Chlamydia (and so do Tony, Tea, and probably Tabitha)

Cheating = NOT safe sex.

Skins (see my earlier post on Tea – the cutest bi girl on MTV) is a new series on MTV that has raised some eyebrows. Personally, I really like the way they dealt with STIs in the most recent episode “Michelle”. Tony cheats on Michelle, in the process getting Chlamydia from "someone" and then gives it to Michelle, who is shown at the (super sleazy) doctor’s office getting a “urine test and STD screening.” Understandably, Michelle freaks out on Tony (though the fact that she gets violent is NOT understandable and could definitely have been skipped) and tells her mom about it. Her mom is a less-than-awesome parent, to say the least, but she does try to calm Michelle down by telling her Chlamydia isn’t a big deal. Which it isn’t, unless you don’t get tested AND treated. The reason I really love the episode? It shows Michelle (and Tea) taking doxycycline – an antibiotic cure for Chlamydia.

So to recap…

The Good:

• Michelle gets tested AND treated
• She figures out Tony’s sexual history
• Tea gets treated
• A popular TV show makes STIs the front and center issue, and makes getting treated/tested seem normal and even kinda hot

The Bad:

• Tony is a cheater (and gets dumped)
• Turns out Michelle has been pretending to be dumb (but she’s about to kick that bad habit)
• Lots of friendships get ruined (but new ones are in the works)

The Ugly:

• The doctor Michelle sees is totally sleazy (and NOT what your local Teen Clinic docs are like, trust us)
• Tony (apparently) doesn’t use condoms
• Multiple sexual partners can often mean riskier sex… and nasty outcomes like STIs

In the end, it seems like this might be all for the best – Michelle dumps a loser, regains her self-confidence, and makes a new friend who might actually be honest with her. Of course, Chlamydia is curable, and it could have been a lot less easy to deal with if she’d gotten syphilis, herpes, or HIV from the cheating Tony. The most important thing? GET TESTED! Head into your local teen clinic before and after new partners, once you turn 21, and/or when you’ve been sexually active for three years.