About 20 million people get infected with a Sexually Transmitted Disease every year. Yet, most of us don’t get tested. We tell ourselves that we don’t have anything without really knowing. For those who do finally get tested, the waiting period is unpleasant. People have experienced anxiety because of the stigma that comes with having an STD.

Waiting for results becomes nerve-racking. Having to wait days, weeks, even months to know if you have one. Then, you get a call from the clinic. You either feel a great deal of relief, or a tremendous amount of shame.

What are people going to think? How do I tell my partner? I will never find someone who will love me anymore. You feel alone.

Our schools teach us to be scared of them. Our parents do the same. That it makes you a freak for getting one in order for people not to have sex, but being scared doesn’t stop people from doing things. It’s been taught for generations. In the past, we didn’t have medication like we do now. Having an STD is not a death sentence.

“You’re a slut,” “it’s your own fault,” “you’re gross,” and many more come with the shame of having an STD. If you have an STD, people think that you have had to have sex with many people.

In reality, you only need to have sex with one person for an STD to be transmitted. STDs are really common.

Half of sexually active people will end up with an STD at some point in their lives. No one tries to get an STD on purpose, it’s not knowing that we have them that keeps them spreading. It does not define who you are. It’s just the stigma that has been put on them that makes us feel ashamed.

People don’t want to feel this way, so they don’t get tested. They think, “you can’t worry about something that you don’t know,”  and then we spread it to our partners without knowing. This could makes the damages worse. Some STDs, if left untreated, can potentially cause infertility in women.

We need to stop the stigma of STDs and stop blaming people who have them. Stop the back talking, get informed about STDs and talk about them with people. Make it a common thing to talk about.

No one should be ashamed they have had it in the past, they know the signs and symptoms of them and can help others talk about it. Stop the stigma of STDs, get tested.