Maintaining My Sexual Health

I had a friend that turned into more than a friend. We were hanging out a lot by ourselves, and I ended up giving her oral one morning. It obviously wasn’t planned, but the sexual tension had been building, I guess. After that happened, she said that we both needed to get tested and should share our results with one another. We both agreed that we should have gotten tested before being intimate with one another. I think it’s understandable that things just get hot and heavy sometimes, and we weren’t thinking with our logical minds.

That following week, I went to a local agency where I could get tested for free. I didn’t make an appointment; I was able to just walk in, which was nice. I waited about 30 minutes or so and was called back for testing. Testing was a pretty quick process, taking maybe 20 more minutes. I hate having my blood drawn, but I just closed my eyes and breathed through it. One blood test now to have peace of mind is better than waiting until I’m sick and maybe need a few tests done. I got my results back super-fast, like 48 hours fast! I was surprised I got them back that fast, but it was great. Once we both had our results back, we sent each other screenshots of our results pages. They had our names on them, so I knew it wasn’t doctored results or anything. We’re also good friends, so I trusted her, but to be honest, it’s my sexual health, so it’s better to not give anyone that trust. People lie all the time to their loved ones, so it’s really up to me to make sure I’m taking care of my health. Like actually seeing someone’s results instead of just believing what they tell me.

Once we had our results, we talked about the status of our relationship and whether we wanted to use condoms. We agreed to be monogamous with one another sexually and proceed without using condoms. I may still go get tested every few months because my body’s safety is mine to protect! I saw how easy it was for me to engage with someone without using protection and knowing their status, so my partner can have that same experience with someone else. This experience has made me think more about how to maintain my sexual health and what that looks like for me! Boundaries, consent, effective communication and getting tested with new partners are most important to me.