I went for my annual female checkup and the sweet old woman at the counter starts telling me about the global STD crisis. Apparently, it’s the highest it has ever been since we have been tracking these things. There is a strain of gonorrhea in the UK that has become resistant to antibiotics and it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way to the US. She said a beautiful young 21 year old recently tested positive for syphilis in their office and it is not responded to medication. They are throwing everything they have at it and finally had to refer her to the CDC. This is not a game. If you want to have unprotected sex, you better be prepared for the consequences. And some things like HPV can be transmitted even when using protection. Certain strains of HPV can cause genital warts or cancer.

If you are going to have sex with someone, there is no shame in demanding a clear bill of health, first. Don’t rely on your own judgement to determine whether a person may have an STD/STI. The only way to be sure is to make them get tested. Period.