During my junior year of college, I had one exclusive partner, so condom precautions were limited. When I became single again the summer before my senior year, I found it difficult to adjust. Most of the sexual encounters I had were after a night out, and I was quite drunk as I found it difficult to transition back to being single.
I wasn't in a good place emotionally, and I was much less cautious and insincere than I had been when I was single in the past. My inhibitions were lowered because I felt like I needed to drink to feel comfortable having sex with someone new.
I used condoms with most people I had sex with, but there were a few exceptions where I didn't use a condom. For example, I felt I could trust someone I had known for a while. It wasn't until the morning that I realized we hadn't used any protection and I felt uneasy and exposed. Looking back now, I think about how lucky I was that I didn't have an incurable disease or get pregnant.
I had no idea I had chlamydia.
I decided to get tested when I met my current boyfriend and it became official in April 2022. Before I started dating him, it occurred to me that there was a definite possibility that I had contracted something and passed it on to him.
I decided it was wise to get tested for all sexually transmitted diseases, even if I had no symptoms.
I ordered a test kit to come in the mail and it was sent back almost immediately. I ordered some test kits from the post. Very quick and easy.
About 5 days later I received a text saying I needed to call the hospital to discuss the results. It was only then that I knew this meant something was wrong, as I had been constantly getting checked through the same postal service during my college years.
With the help of my housemates, I called the hospital and it was confirmed that I had tested positive for chlamydia.
The first thing I did at this point was call my boyfriend and tell him that I had tested positive for chlamydia and that I needed to get tested immediately. I was very angry with myself and very embarrassed, so it was very difficult to comfort myself. I was most annoyed with myself because I knew he was very careful with everyone he was with in the past and I was 99% sure I was the one who gave it to him.
But my boyfriend was amazing. He reassured me that there was no reason to be upset, that things could have been worse, and that he knew he was the one who relayed that to me.
After he also tested positive, we decided to get antibiotics together from a local sexual health clinic.
The people at the clinic couldn't have been more supportive and I felt completely non-judgmental, which was something that caught me off guard.
This course lasted a week, but I was advised not to engage in any form of sexual activity until two weeks after my first dose of antibiotics, and to wait six weeks after my first dose of antibiotics to get retested to check for infection. It has been sorted out. When I was retested, the results came back 3 days later and showed that the STI was completely gone.
Although this experience was traumatic, it taught me to put my health first. I put off getting tested for too long because I was embarrassed by the thought of having an STD. Sexually transmitted diseases were so easily curable that it's so ridiculous now.
My experience clearly demonstrates the importance of talking about sexually transmitted diseases. Because the more you talk about something, the faster the fear and stigma around it is removed. After I started talking more openly, I realized there were so many people who had been through something similar or knew someone who had been through something similar.
Things like STIs, unwanted pregnancies or other 'private' health issues are often considered taboo topics because there is so much shame around sex and expressing one's sexuality.
Although chlamydia is easily treated and not life-threatening like most sexually transmitted diseases in the modern medical era, it can cause a variety of health problems if not caught early.
I haven't felt any shame since I was diagnosed, and I'm so glad I took the leap and got tested.
Now I feel completely safe with my physical and mental health. I will never again put off calling my doctor or getting tested for anything I think could be dangerous to my health. Because it's not worth living in fear and anxiety.
At the end of the day, the most enjoyable sex is safe sex. Don't delay and take the test!
Take care of yourself and remember that barrier-free forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. So when in doubt, always use a condom and take the time to learn how to use it properly.
I'm so happy to share my experience in the hope that at least one person will see it and think, 'I guess health comes first too.'
order free sti test kit
The best way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases is to get tested regularly and to use condoms during sex. Completing a home test kit is quick and easy. You can order an STI kit online that you can complete at home and mail back to you.