Know Your Status

April is National STI Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time to have real discussions about Sexually Transmitted Infections- aka STI’s. This month, we’re diving into why getting tested matters, common misconceptions and how to have conversations about STI’s without feeling awkward about it.  STI’s are common, often treatable, and nothing to feel ashamed of. Whether you’re in a relationship, casually dating or just figuring things out, knowledge about your STI status is one of the best ways to keep you and your partner safe. Let’s see how conversations about STI’s can be simple, honest and judgement free. To show how STI testing doesn’t have to be a big deal, we made a comic about Mei- a college student going to take an STI test to show what it’s really like (spoiler alert: it’s not as intimidating as you think).  

(Mei’s story below is fictional, but it reflects the reality of STIs. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental)

STI’s are actually more prevalent at Cal Poly than you might think. Chlamydia, Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) and HPV are some of the most common sexually transmitted infections found in our community.  1 in 120 Cal Poly students have had a chlamydia diagnosis and within the past year, 1 in 10 with a UTI and 1 in 300 with HPV (genital warts). 

If you learned something on this post and want to learn more about your sexual health, click this link to join our comprehensive sexual education canvas course! There are 10 modules, and they are at your own pace, not graded, comprehensive, interactive, and educational, similar to the library research modules. There are also cool features like an anonymous question section! 

Sources: 
Cal Poly Sex Ed Canvas Course – Access to course materials and resources (login required).
Cleveland Clinic: Gonorrhea Overview – A detailed medical overview of gonorrhea, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options.