JACKIE MARQUEZ / OPINION EDITOR

SPENCER BISPHAM / MANAGING EDITOR

One in five Americans has a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at any given moment, according to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) latest estimate. That means about 20% of the population has likely experienced, or is currently experiencing, the stigma around STIs. They may have been treated negatively by others or felt a self-imposed sense of shame, simply because of a bacterial or viral infection they caught. 

During sex ed., many of us were taught that STIs make a person “dirty” or “dangerous.” As such, the majority of our conversations around STIs discuss them in a negative light, rather than in an open-minded way that creates a safe-space for people to talk about them. Of course, catching an STI certainly isn’t a positive thing. However, this negative stigmatization of STIs actually enables their spread by preventing people from getting tested, and it actively harms the mental health of people who contract STIs. Because of this, we must change the way we approach STIs as a society. Rather than treating STIs like some immoral curse that people get for having sex, we should treat STIs like any other infection. 

There’s a misconception that stigmatizing STIs will discourage people from spreading them. It suggests that shame has a preventative effect; if having an STI is socially unacceptable, then people will practice safer sex and get tested more frequently, to avoid contracting one. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t align with this logic. According to a study on STI stigmatization published in the National Library of Medicine, social stigma actually acts as a barrier to STI testing and treatment. This is especially problematic for college students. According to a different study published by the National Library of Medicine, most 15-25 year olds have never gotten an STI test. This age group also has the highest number of reported cases of STIs, yet they avoid testing and treatment for reasons associated with the stigmatization of STIs. For example, a positive diagnosis requires the risk of rejection by their partner(s), further treatment and the mental stress of dealing with an STI, so some people would rather not know their status. As the saying goes, “ignorance is bliss.” 

This social barrier posed by stigmatization is incredibly dangerous, because STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can all be asymptomatic. Regular STI testing — even if some symptoms don’t show — is not the norm. By pushing people away from regular STI testing, our social stigma prevents people from knowing whether or not they’re putting their partners at risk. Plus, it delays them from getting time-sensitive treatment that can help get rid of or manage the infection. Ultimately, the stigma around STIs discourages people from getting tested, and this enables the spread of STI by allowing asymptomatic infections to go unnoticed and untreated. 

Beyond harming physical health, the stigma around STIs also harms people’s mental health. Oftentimes when people are diagnosed, they feel guilty, shocked, ashamed or scared. These emotions are fairly unique to STIs; you don’t feel them when you catch a virus like the flu, so why do you feel that way after catching an STI? Unsurprisingly, it comes back to stigmatization. The negative reactions that people often receive in response to sharing about their STI are the result of the way that our society talks and jokes about STIs. These kinds of reactions prompt individuals who have contracted STIs to self-isolate. They fear it will change and diminish their ability to connect with others. Out of fear of being judged, they may keep their diagnoses to themselves and bottle up their emotions. This can lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In some cases, it can even lead to suicidal thoughts. According to Planned Parenthood, 36% of people diagnosed with herpes develop suicidal ideation. Because of this, it’s important that we change the way we refer to STIs. Rather than avoiding conversation about them or turning them into the butt of a joke, it’s important that we support people who catch STIs and treat them with dignity.

Of course, there are always going to be those who resist conversations about STIs for different reasons. Whether it’s the reality of having an STI, the stigma that surrounds it or the fear of rejection based on testing positive, being nervous is completely understandable. 

Professional obstetrician and gynecologist (OB/GYN), Dr. Jen Gunter described why conversations with her patients about STIs can be particularly difficult, in an op-ed for The New York Times.

“I think people contact me directly because they don’t have access to health care, because they are embarrassed and think [erroneously] they are the only ones to experience such a misadventure, because they worry their providers will be judgmental [sadly, this is not uncommon], because there is so much misinformation online that it is hard to separate the good from the bad, or simply because they’re really scared and it’s 3 a.m. and just maybe I’ll answer,” Gunter wrote.

Talking with your doctor about STIs can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also the best way to get reliable information. Even though there are plenty of online resources and studies on the topic, it can be incredibly overwhelming to sort through them on your own. Including your provider in face-to-face conversations about your sexual health also helps humanize the issue of STIs. Just like with any other reason to visit the doctor, you can work through it together.

  Another reason that we need to destigmatize STIs is because of the role they play in consent. At the end of the day, there is always a risk of passing an STI when you have sex, so knowing your status is a key part of giving your partner the ability to fully consent. While testing before and after sexual interaction with a new partner is recommended, both parties should be allowed to make the decision whether they care about that or not. 

The key part to these conversations is choice, and that means talking openly and honestly with each other about the risks involved in what you’re doing. Here in California, the state legislature takes this aspect of consent very seriously. Under Health and Safety Code 120290, knowingly transmitting an STI to someone without informing them of your status can open you up to a civil lawsuit on their behalf. While this might seem scary at first, in reality, it serves as a protection for those who value informed consent and may be taken advantage of. 

While having conversations about STIs can seem like a big ask, especially with someone you’ve just met, it is certainly preferable to finding out they may have given you something besides a great time last night. In the event that you were one of the many people to test positive, it is not a reflection of your value as a person nor as a sexual partner. Societal stigma would have you believe that you might never have sex again, but in reality, that could not be farther from the truth. Even for those individuals with STIs that are present for life, a healthy and happy sex life is possible, as long as they are willing to have conversations with their partners openly, honestly and frequently.