Spring break is probably my favorite school holiday.
The weather is generally beautiful and the timing is perfect for spending days lazing around the house, hanging out on the beach and getting frisky with that special someone.
Whoever chose April as spring break month didn’t choose blindly. I’m pretty sure the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t select April to promote STD awareness haphazardly, either.
The beautiful weather and the exuberance on spring break getaways lead to unexpected sexual flings for many people.
Sharing the fun sometimes leads to sharing other things people might not ask about before diving into the sack.
But are sexually transmitted infections and diseases really as horrible as people make them out to be?
We can’t deny the reality that sexually transmitted infections or diseases cause a disruption in some normal bodily functions. But many are curable, or at least manageable for many years.
Yet our society condemns people who get an STD as dirty, vile and immoral. The shaming of STDs is unnecessary and harmful, yet rampant and seemingly uncontrollable.
Some STDs, such as herpes and genital warts, are very painful and generally show themselves at the most inopportune times. HIV, hepatitis and other infections cause lifelong issues that wreak havoc on your body.
But do they mean your life – inside and outside the bedroom – is over?
No.
Multiple STIs are curable. With a round of antibiotics and a few weeks of celibacy, most cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis are gone.
The CDC estimates at least 50 percent of Americans will have at least one infection of human papillomavirus in their lives, but the body of an otherwise healthy individual will clear many strains of HPV with time and patience.
The reality is that you and most people you know will likely get at least one sexually transmitted infection in your lifetime.
Even if you use protection, things happen. Condoms break, fall off or tear.
Having sex – even with all the bells and whistles like male or female condoms and dental dams – comes with a risk. Some people never even know they have a problem because they never get an outbreak, a discharge or any other sign that something is wrong.
While there is testing for many STDs, a full panel of tests is expensive and not always accurate.
One person, one time, one accident can find even the safest of people with an illness they didn’t ask to have.
We shouldn’t keep piling blame and negativity onto those who made a mistake or had an accident, labeling them horribly unclean people.
As a human race, we like to think that it can’t happen to us.
But sexually transmitted infections and diseases happen every day to people of all colors, creeds and economic statuses.
It can happen to you. It will happen to more than 50 percent of us by the time we die, and that statistic is always increasing.
Be careful and take precautions, but in the end, be compassionate.
If you don’t have an STD, it’s hard to understand the difficulty of talking to people about living with or having a lifelong STD. Those dealing with diseases often get dismissed or shamed – romantically and otherwise – on a regular basis because of their medical issues.
If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to have sex with them. But how you handle that situation will make all the
difference.
The golden rule never saw a better application than its relation to STDs. Treat others as you would wish to be treated if you found yourself in the same situation.
Kristi Carnahan is a 25-year-old anthropology senior from West Monroe. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_KCarnahan.
 
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Contact Kristi Carnahan at [email protected]