Moving Beyond Genital Inspection: Trust and Communication in STI Awareness
If you’ve followed my page for awhile, you’re aware that the most common symptom of an STI is no symptom at all. So why are we still inspecting partners’ genitals for verification of STI status?
The only way you’ll know someone’s STI history or status is to communicate with them. Even then, there are unavoidable uncertainties. For example, lack of required herpes testing means most people, without experiencing a symptomatic outbreak, are unaware of their status.
If your partner informs you of an STI status, like herpes, stop looking at their genitals for reassurance that they’re not experiencing an outbreak when you’re together. Stop dehumanizing your partners. Stop treating your partners as lab subjects and instead look for opportunities to educate and trust their knowledge and experience of their bodies.