Why We Need To Destigmatize Getting Tested

Valentine’s day is coming up, which means people are thinking about getting down. Whether it is a date with your significant other, or a blind date, or even just going out for the sole purpose of hooking up, for many people having sex on Valentine’s Day is a huge possibility. And with that, here is your reminder to get tested before you engage in any acts that might lead to you, or your partner, spreading a sexually transmitted infection (STI). But as easy as it is to say you should get tested, I understand that doing so can be kind of stressful. With all the stigmas behind STI’s and getting tested, it can feel shameful to go to a clinic or even the free STI testing on campus. Not to mention that getting tested for certain STI’s, such as HIV, carry certain connotations. But these stigmas are harming sexually active people immensely, especially here in Utah.

Okay, so a bit about me: I am a Sexual Wellness counselor for the Center for Student Wellness at the University of Utah. I provide presentations across campus for various issues such as bystander intervention, healthy relationships, breaking up, and coming soon, a sex ed presentation. However, one of the most important parts of this position is that I provide free counseling to people who come into the free STI testings provided across campus 3 times a semester. I went through quite a bit of training to be able to do this job, and learned a lot of facts about STI’s and the spread of them, and how much stigma plays into it. The main thing I learned is that it is not shameful at all to get tested, and if you go in to get tested, no one is going to judge you. In fact, people will actually thank you for getting tested (and by people I mean me as well as any other counselor in this case) because you are taking the initiative to take care of your health and make sure other people aren’t at risk at contracting an STI. And no one else there is going to judge you either because guess what? They’re all there for the same reason as you, so they have no room to judge.

Another thing I’ve learned through my training is that it is extremely common to contract an STI. It’s so common that about one in two sexually active people will contract an STI before they are 25, which is a lot. So even though you might think “oh I’m not at risk for catching an STI,” you really are. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, if you use condoms or dental dams, or if you are sure your partner is clean, there’s still the chance you could have an STI. The good news is, a lot of the time an STI will clear up on it’s own, or through a round of antibiotics, just like strep throat. But even then you should still get tested so you aren’t spreading STI’s around, or even just to get treated sooner rather than later. Your health should be your first priority, and by getting tested you are making sure of that.

Now you might be wondering why I have been saying STI instead of STD this whole time. This reason behind this is completely due to stigma. There is a very negative connotation behind STD, which stands for sexually transmitted disease, while STI stands for sexually transmitted infection. Compare the words: disease and infection. When you think of disease you are probably thinking something incurable, and if you have one other people should stay far away from you, whereas when you think of infection you are probably thinking of something that is easy to clear up, like an ear infection. One acronym is shameful and isolating, while the other is more medical and doesn’t carry as many stigmas. If more people say STI instead of STD, it decreases the shame behind having one, which increases the chance of getting tested. But the stigmas don’t end there. The STI’s themselves carry stigmas too, especially well known STI’s such as HIV. Many people think HIV is an STI that only gay people can contract, which is definitely not true. Anyone can contract HIV, regardless of sexual orientation. And by labeling it as a “gay man’s disease” you are putting more shame on the STI as well as the community it affects the most. People will be less likely to go to the doctors to get medication to decrease their chances of contracting HIV, and will be less likely to get tested for HIV. Their health will suffer, and when labeling them as someone with HIV, you are isolating them. This can also be true for many types of STI’s such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, etc.

There’s no shame behind getting tested for STI’s, and on a college campus where free STI testing is provided frequently, you should utilize the opportunities you get. I highly encourage everyone to use protective barriers like condoms and dental dams to protect against STI’s, and talk to your partners about their sexual history before you engage in any sexual acts with them and also get tested frequently. It is painless and free in a lot of places, and in getting tested you contribute to decreasing the stigma, paving the way for other people to get tested. No one is going to judge you for making sure you are STI free.

There are tons of counselors at the Center for Student Wellness that will help you through the process and will make sure you have someone there for you if you are nervous or scared. We provide free HIV testing every Thursday from 10 am to 12 pm, and have free gonorrhea and chlamydia testing three times a semester. Our next one is on February 12th from 11 am to 1 pm in the Union. Come get tested so you can have a safe (and consensual)Valentine’s day!

Info sources: 1, 2

• sex
• sexual health
• STI
• STI Testing
• Valentine's Day