Parallels Between Pandemic Safety and STI Prevention: A Reflection
Hear me out…
Late last year, I wrote about the parallels between sex education and the pandemic, specifically as it relates to infections and the beliefs we hold about them for the @phillyinquirer— which I will link in my stories.
Masks & vaccines are akin to condoms—people believe that they are 100% effective at preventing transmission—and that’s just not true. Yes, they are tools to effectively reduce transmission, but they are not guaranteed. We see this more and more in the news as folks who received vaccinations test positive for COVID and with the rise of the Delta variant across the globe.
Similarly, STIs that transmit through skin-to-skin contact, like herpes, for example, can still transmit even when utilizing barriers.
Society’s approach to masks and vaccinations is deeply reflective of our understanding of virus transmission more generally, as well as socially stigmatized infections like STIs.