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Get Tested
"I realize my stigma towards sex and its negative side effects came from my own ignorance. Not everyone who gets an STD is a ripper. Some people, like me, contract them involuntarily."
By Ashley Jones
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Youth Radio’s Ashley Jones never thought she needed to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, because she didn't fit the stereotype of girls at her school who contracted STDs. That was before a tragic event changed her mind, and she realized how important it was for everyone to get tested...including her. (September 14 on KQED)
There was a period in my life when I thought sex was a horrible thing. I thought only promiscuous women – or “rippers,” as I call them – contracted sexually transmitted diseases. And because I wasn’t like that, I had nothing to worry about.
My friends and I always gossiped about the “loose” girls in our school, and whatever STDs they got, they deserved. But after I experienced something horribly traumatic, I changed my mind.
I was a victim of sexual assault. After it happened I was in complete denial – and getting tested for STDs couldn’t have been further from my mind. After I told my mother I had been raped, she practically dragged me to the doctor’s office to get tested. The results came back positive.
When I found out I had contracted an STD from someone I didn’t even know, I blamed myself. But after the initial shock wore off, I began to realize just how important it is to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, even if you use protection every time.
I realize my stigma towards sex, and its negative side effects, came from my own ignorance. Not everyone who gets an STD is a ripper. Some people, like me, contract them involuntarily.
Unfortunately, educating kids about sex is looked down upon and often discouraged. Looking back, there wasn’t anyone who tried to inform me about sex and its potential repercussions. My parents never discussed it, and even though my high school had a Sex Ed. class, it was cancelled due to budget cuts. Sure, my friends and I talked about sex now and then, but we didn’t know much.
Now I know the facts, and while I'm still not completely comfortable sharing my personal experience with STDs and rape... If I have to tell my story to get others to get tested, I'm willing to do my part.
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