The refreshing part about interviewing people who have contracted an STI is everyone’s perspective is unique. This interview illustrates that contracting an STI – chlamydia and herpes, specifically – doesn’t always result in doom and gloom. Depending on where you’re from, what type of sexual education program you experienced, or how your parents talked about sexual […]
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 […]
Genital Herpes – Finding Forgiveness – STI Interviews
From the interviewee’s doctor accusing him of cheating on his wife to the years of being unable to talk to her about outbreaks, this interviewee’s story speaks to the turmoil that can exist internally and within an intimate relationship after an STD diagnosis – in this case, genital herpes. 1. How old are you? 56 2. What do […]
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 – I Feel Like I Have this Flaw – STI Interviews
One of the many reasons we post others’ stories is to help erode the idea that an STI (whether temporary or long-term, and in this case, HSV1) should be looked at as something a new partner needs to get over or accept – a flaw, if you will. Sure, no one wants a cold, the […]
Chlamydia, HSV2, & HPV – It Doesn’t Bother Him – STI Interviews
It’s interviews such as this one that speak to the value of having access to resources and educational tools that support and encourage sexual health. Quite often, we’ve found that a person’s opinion about their diagnosis improves with time. For some, it takes longer than others [read: it took me years and years to overcome […]
HSV2 – I Wish I Could Go Back in Time – STI Interviews
The number one question we receive at The STI Project is, ‘Will anyone ever want to be with me again?’ Usually included is, ‘How do I date with an STD?’ ‘How do I tell a new partner?’ ‘Can I ever have casual sex or just enjoy sex again?’ The good news is that dating, sex, […]