Healthcare Providers Can Unknowingly Perpetuate Herpes and STI Stigma
Healthcare providers can (often unknowingly) perpetuate herpes and STI stigma. Let’s talk about it.
Challenges in Delivering STI/STD Test Results
While many healthcare providers are well-intentioned when it comes to delivering positive STI result, not all deliveries are equal or in alignment with comprehensive sex education recommendations. Advising patients that they don’t need to disclose their herpes status “because so many people already have it” is neither a trauma-informed nor comprehensive approach.
Importance of Disclosure
People often seek ways to avoid sharing their STI status with partners because it can be awkward, uncomfortable, and “unsexy.” This is because most people were taught to avoid STIs and people who have them, rather than how to communicate or navigate sex with them. Popular culture also reinforces this narrative (hello shame and blame!). Remember: Ever partner has an STI status to share whether it’s positive or negative. Sharing your STI status with someone is imperative for informed consent.
Sex Education for Medical Professionals
Healthcare providers who advise non-disclosure reinforce STI stigma and give patients authority-backed permission to avoid communicating with their partners about their sexual health. Healthcare providers may work close to sexual health, but may not be educated or qualified to provide advice that is comprehensive, inclusive, or informed by sex education principles. Sex educators can play an important role in educating healthcare providers about delivering positive STI results and informing recommendations. I would love to see a world where sex educators are positioned in healthcare and urgent care offices nationwide for these and similar situations. There is room for sex educators and healthcare providers to learn and grow alongside one another to create a better experience for people working through an STI diagnosis and beyond.
PSA: Like any post on social media, this doesn’t mean that every healthcare provider is in the wrong or inherently bad.