It's a Friday night like any other: my friends and I get together to order food and watch the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.
While we were chatting about our day-to-day lives, I mentioned I had an STI test scheduled that afternoon. Silence. My friends looked puzzled — I’ve been with my boyfriend for years, so why get tested?
Michelle breaks the silence, visibly surprised, and blurts out, "Did you cheat on your boyfriend?" She knows all about my monogamy.
I smile: "No, come on, I just hadn't been tested since I've been with my boyfriend and I wanted to make sure I didn't have an STI."
Pierrot, the very picture of skepticism, is sure something’s off in my story. “He cheated on you, didn’t he?”
I burst out laughing — the idea seems ridiculous. “Imagine! I wouldn’t have told you like *that*! No, no, it’s just that in my sex ed classes, I learned you can have an STI without showing any symptoms. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. We both got tested, just to have peace of mind.”
Finally, Sabrina, who had stayed silent until now, declared with a presidential air: " Ignorance is blissespecially when you’ve got Google Images convincing you that you’re good to go because you don’t see on your body what you’re seeing in the pictures!”
I gently respond to my friend: “Sweetheart, we may have made PowerPoints about STIs in high school, but that doesn’t make us experts. And on Google Images, it’s always the most extreme cases — totally unreliable. It’s like thinking I could live in New York just because I watch Friends.” Sex and the City. De la pure fiction. Il n’y a qu’un·e infirmier·ère praticien·ne spécialisé·e ou un·e médecin qui peut te donner un diagnostic fiable. »
Michelle jumps in: “Okay, but I’ve decided I’m not going to see my doctor anymore for anything sexual. Last time, he gave me a dirty look when I told him how many partners I’d had that year, and made some sexist comments when I said I sleep with both girls and guys.”
Moved by what my friend just shared, I respond, knowing this kind of experience is sadly all too common: “Ugh, yeah. What you’re saying really matters—it totally makes sense you wouldn’t want to go back… So what do you do now, when you’re unsure about something?”
Michelle straightens an invisible tie: “ Call me “Doctor WebMd”. “For real, I know all the symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea like the back of my hand.”
"Okay, but you know you can have chlamydia or gonorrhea without any symptoms, right?" I reply.
Pierrot, looking for some reassurance, joins the conversation. “You’re scaring me with all this. That’s exactly why I never do anything with someone I don’t know, like really well.”
I press on, concerned: “It’s not just people with lots of partners who can get an STI. And another thing is, for many STIs, it can take years before any symptoms show up—but that doesn’t mean you can’t pass it on. I didn’t have any symptoms, and neither did my boyfriend, but you know, getting tested regularly now gives me a kind of peace of mind.”
A silence falls. I’m afraid I might have scared my friends, but I feel it’s important to say all this—to help them understand the risks that come with STIs.
I go on, hoping to clear up any misunderstanding:
“Actually, FYI, just because you’re not having penetration doesn’t mean you’re safe, my dear sidekick. Some STIs can spread through skin-to-skin contact!” safe, mon petit side. Certaines ITSS se transmettent par contact cutané! »
Sabrina freezes mid-bite, clearly surprised. “Wait, you can get an STI without penetration?”
Michelle, always ready to drop some knowledge, jumps in. “Oh, I know this one! You can get an STI in different ways — through skin contact, mucous membranes, body fluids, blood… It depends on the STI.”
Sabrina turns to me. “But you only sleep with your boyfriend. Why bother getting tested if you don’t have other partners?”
I take a moment to choose my words carefully. “Exactly. The last time I got tested was before we got together. And since some STIs can seriously affect your health, I’d rather catch it early if something’s going on. Like, if I have asymptomatic gonorrhea, I’d want to know before it causes problems. That’s why it’s super important to get tested even if you don’t have symptoms.”
As everyone tunes into the conversation, Michelle — ever practical — helps herself to more rice and asks,
I smile, because I know my experience will reassure my friend. “That’s the thing— nice—it was actually super easy. I created my file online on the Prelib website, answered a few questions, and booked my appointment in just a couple of clicks." STI autosampling center to get tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia. When I got to the clinic, everything was ready, and I even booked a phone appointment to go over my results when they come in. That’s it. Honestly, it took me about as long as ordering and picking up our takeout. take-out. »
With a playful wink, Michelle adds, “And how was the doctor?” I’m asking for a friend. »
I laugh before answering. “I didn’t even see a doctor. I saw a nurse who checked my ID and took a blood sample. Then she gave me the kit to do the urine and swab tests myself. Super simple.” kit d’autoprélèvement pour que je puisse faire les prélèvements moi-même! »
“That doesn’t sound so bad, and it *has* been a while since I got tested,” Sabrina says, thinking out loud. “Not since Carl, anyway.”
Hearing Carl’s name, Michelle can’t help but laugh. “Whoa, it’s been a while for me too—we should have date and go together! »
“If you’re going, I’m coming too,” Pierrot chimes in. “I want to know as well, and it’d feel way less scary if we all went together!”
“Plus, if one of us tests positive, we’ll be able to go through it together and support each other,” adds Sabrina.
And just like that, my three friends found themselves at the Prelib clinic on a Thursday morning for their routine STI tests—treating themselves to vegan ice cream afterward as a reward for taking charge of their sexual health. Now, we’re just waiting for the results!
