Navigating Body Shame and STI Diagnoses: Healing Beyond Infection
CW: body shame and discomfort
If someone has negative beliefs about their body, more specifically, their genitals, an STI diagnosis is likely to exacerbate these feelings.
These feelings might be present from poor sex education, a household or school environment embedded with purity culture, lack of Healthy At Every Size (HAES) approach, or a space that promoted overall shame and stigma rather than acceptance. There are a multitude of origins for these feelings, including just absorbing a sex negative culture.
If someone is working through shameful feelings about their body, sexuality, or their genitals, the stigmatized nature of a positive STI diagnosis—even those that can be cured—is deeply impactful.
With STIs, it’s not just about resolving or treating the infection, it’s working to understand and heal the effects of stigma.