Can we talk about bringing up sexual health in a new relationship?
Transcript
All right, so I’m just heading out, but I feel like no one talks about how to bring up sexual health with a partner. Like, we all know how important it is, but actually starting the conversation? I mean it can be a bit nerve-wracking.
I’ve been seeing a guy lately, and I finally brought up the whole sexual health thing - using protection…getting tested… you know, before…
So I used to think that STIs and testing wasn’t really something that I had to worry about. I thought that if I was in a committed relationship or if I didn’t have a lot of partners that I wasn’t really at risk, right? Turns out… that's not really how it works. Um so, STIs can be passed on even if there are no symptoms. So, a lot of people have an infection and don’t even know it, which made me realize that testing isn’t really about assuming the worst, it’s more about taking care of myself, like a checkup.
There’s also the question of protection. So, I’ve been in a couple of situations where me and my partner kind of just assumed that we were on the same page, without necessarily talking about it, and looking back at it, I realize that skipping that conversation definitely led to some misunderstandings, and some awkward situations.
So yesterday, I went for it. I was like, “Hey, I really like you, and I love where this is going, but before we go any further, I’d like to talk about sexual health.”
Yeah, OK, it was awkward a little bit at first...but then we had a really great conversation. We talked about protection, testing, we talked about what makes us both feel good, what makes us feel safe.
He was super up for it and actually told me that he was glad I brought it up.
I cannot tell you how much relief that gave me. No more guessing, no more stressing, just clarity and actually, just more connection.
So, yeah, I just wanted to hop on here and share in case anyone is in the same boat as me. Sexual health is super important, so let’s talk about it!
[Text on Screen: Your sexual health matters. Learn more at Canada.ca/STI]