Recently at the SexTech conference, one of the speakers discussed how it is easier for people to have sex than to talk about sex. And it really got me thinking, why is this true? With all of the information and resources that are available, why are so many still people contracting STDs?
Is it because people don’t know what resources are available to them? Are people not getting tested? Or is it because people aren’t talking to their partners? Talking about sex can be difficult. It is an uncomfortable conversation for a lot of people. And I don’t mean the sex talk with your parents, which, as many of us know, is one of the most awkward conversations you might ever experience.
I am talking about the conversation about sex that you have with your partner about getting tested. It is a little like getting a vaccine, you don’t look forward to it, and you know it is going to be uncomfortable, but it is something that you have to do to protect your health.
There are many reasons why talking about sex and getting tested with your partner may be difficult. You may feel that you will offend your partner or make them feel uncomfortable by asking if they have ever been tested. Or it could be that you and your partner are so quick to want to get intimate that you don’t want to bother with getting tested before you start hooking up.
The list of reasons could be endless as to why a talk about getting tested with your partner may be challenging, but no matter how long the list, it won’t compare to unknowingly contracting an STD.
That last statement sounds a little extreme; I am not trying to scare you! But it is true. There are so many STDs that don’t always have any obvious signs and symptoms , or at least not initially, and there are some infections that will never completely go away.
Don’t let an uncomfortable conversation be your reason for contracting an infection. It is worth it to have that conversation with your partner because it means protecting yourself!
As I wrote about in my last blog , I am a fan of MTV’s GYT (Get Yourself Tested) campaign. I think that their tips on how to talk about getting tested with your partner are great place to start your conversation.
Scarleteen, another new favorite site, has great information on the importance of getting tested . Either way you start it, just make sure you have the conversation. Just doing it may be easier than talking about it, but talking about it is what is going to keep you and your partner healthy.