Rethinking STI Education: Beyond Stigma and Symptom Photos
Earlier this week, my friend and colleague @millennialsexpert, shared a post with me about herpes on IG. The post, by a credible OBGYN, featured a photo of genital herpes’ presenting symptoms.
While the caption offered a small amount of education (ex: this is what herpes looks like), it did little to remove the stigma. In my mind, it had more in common with abstinence and avoidance based sex ed rather than comprehensive sex education.
Knowledge is power. We should have an awareness about our bodies. Most of us have an awareness around when something feels off, or we wonder if we should make an appointment—sexual health related or otherwise.
The thing with herpes and other STIs is that you might not always have presenting symptoms. The symptoms might be mistaken for something else (ingrown hair, razor burn, pimple, etc.). Due to the stigma of STIs, we can also convince ourselves that “we’re not the type to get an STI,” and even put off testing because of that belief system.
Sharing a photo of herpes without offering narratives of safer sex with partners or how to reduce outbreaks and transmission does little to bring awareness to or remove the stigma. If anything, it may increase it.
Sharing a photo of an outbreak may also be triggering for folks as a reminder of how they contracted herpes. Or maybe you’re someone like me who just cannot stomach some things (fun fact: I cannot handle blood or birthing videos. Outside of sex ed, I cannot handle horror films).
I commend those who join forces in this mission to remove STI stigma, but I ask that we all be mindful in our efforts to educate. We’re all still unlearning, too.