{"id":18711,"date":"2021-01-29T14:46:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T13:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=18711"},"modified":"2021-01-29T14:46:17","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T13:46:17","slug":"how-to-tell-someone-about-sti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/how-to-tell-someone-about-sti\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell Someone You Have an STI"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every day, more than <\/span>one million STIs<\/span><\/a> are contracted globally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contracting an STI can lead to feelings of low self-worth, anxiety around love and relationships, depression, and feelings of sexual trauma.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing, viruses happen. STIs and STDs are a natural part of biology on this planet, but that doesn\u2019t make them any less painful to deal with. If you have an STI, you have not done anything wrong, you are not dirty, you are not less-than.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telling new or current sexual partners about your status can bring up anxiety, and trigger any preexisting feelings you had around being diagnosed.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Tell a Current Partner You Were Just Diagnosed<\/b><\/p>\n

If you are diagnosed with an STI after you\u2019ve already slept with someone, it\u2019s important to tell them as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

While many of the most common ones are treatable when detected early, left untreated they can lead to long term health issues and problems with infertility.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not an easy conversation to have – we understand. If you are in a monogamous relationship it may even bring up questions around infidelity. If this comes up, you can remind your partner that sometimes STIs can take time to show symptoms, especially if you weren\u2019t tested before you two began having sex together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that if you both are diagnosed, you\u2019ll have to finish treatment before resuming sex again, to avoid retransmission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How To Tell a New Partner\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Of the eight most common <\/span>STIs<\/span><\/a>, four of them are incurable. For people who have one of these four infections – <\/span>herpes<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>HIV<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>HPV<\/span><\/a>, or <\/span>Hepatitis B<\/span><\/a> – navigating sex with other people can be a difficult part of their healing journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having this hanging over your head when you\u2019re talking to a new person may prevent you from feeling totally present or confident. When you choose to tell a new partner is totally up to you, but the longer you wait, the more time you have for stress to build. <\/span><\/p>\n

Which is why we suggest doing it sooner than later – like when you\u2019re first getting to know someone.<\/span><\/p>\n

When having this discussion, be prepared to answer any questions that may come up. Do your research, if you haven\u2019t already, and be as honest and upfront with them as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions That May Come Up<\/b><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll want to have science-backed information on the logistics of having sex with an STI.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the most important topics to cover:<\/span><\/p>\n