Something Positive for Positive People

Seems like whenever I question or doubt myself in this space I'm met with just what I need to see or hear from someone. I share thank you messages on social media but this one . . . I let Heather share

There are many ways to get involved with advocacy. In my experience, I've connected with people who get inspired by someone's work in this space and charge into making a social media post sharing that they are positive for herpes. If you're in that space, I encourage you to listen to this podcast episode so that you have more perspective to make the most informed decision you possibly can.

After a positive diagnosis, one can experience a loss of identity. Clarice Connelly and I go into the development of identity and healthy places to construct your new identity.

Welcome to the 100th spfpp episode (by number). I answer a few listener questions and interview the mind behind the sexually expressive Instagram handle, @strictlysex, Follow her for a sex positive, explicit sharing of sexual turn-ons, wins and conversations with like-minded people in this space. We talk about her recent diagnosis with genital HSV-1 and her experiences with past partners who've had herpes prior to her diagnosis.

Dr. Evelin Dacker, a board-certified family physician and executive director of Sex Positive Portland, discusses a new safer sexual communication model called STARS. This method helps individuals disclose herpes statuses to partners, emphasizing self-awareness and clear intentions for healthier relationships. Dacker highlights how shame influences our experiences and stresses that we are not defined by our infections. The conversation also touches on the importance of consent, personal boundaries, and open dialogues to enhance intimacy.

What does race have to do with sex education? .Why are minorities at a greater risk than their counterparts for STIs and teen pregnancy? What factors play a role in teaching black and brown communities sex education? How do we use the truth to keep our youth from being vulnerable to deception? We answer these questions and address parental concerns about teaching sex ed to their kids who "shouldn't be having sex in the first place".

Trigger warning to survivors of any kind of abuse. Our guest is 25 year old, Z who was diagnosed with genital herpes at age 15. There's some triggering backstory to her trauma. The dysfunction of this trauma has become normalized. When people say they're a product of their environment, what that means is there's a systematic structure in place that encourages particular behaviors. In Z's experience, we're talking about sexual abuse, predatory behaviors, pedophilia, physical abuse, shame, and secrecy which enables things to be done in the shadows. Please take care of yourself listening to this episode especially if you are a survivor of abuse. This is important. What hit me the hardest is that Z said her life would've been different had she just had an open space to talk. When she received it from the father of her 9 month old child, it was used to manipulate her and she was then abused. We have to do something different. Even if that starts with recognizing Z's story as one of many taking place as we speak. Proper sex education can become a foundation to create openness in communities and homes so that there is language and encouragement to point out dysfunction and illegal behavior. One resource I recommend in helping navigate sexual health talks in families for parents to initiate these conversations is www.sexpositivefamilies.com.

Founder of The Institute for Sexuality and Intimacy, Dr. Lexx Brown-James, LMFT, CSE can be found on Instagram @lexxsexdoc. We discuss the over-sexualization of black bodies, how sexual trauma and therapy look different for black people, guilt vs shame and the history of STIs. You can also visit www.lexxsexdoc.com to check her out.

Your partner contacts you and says they've tested positive for syphilis. You follow the protocol which is to go and get tested and treated at a medical clinic. You get there and are informed you have to come back after the weekend. You go to another place and are told you can't be treated. Even with insurance, what are some of the barriers that would hinder this simple process of someone receiving proper treatment? Dr. David Malebranche shares a story no one should have to experience with their health care provider to be seen about possible STI contraction. About the guest: David J. Malebranche, MD, MPH, is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and expert in men's health, student health, racial inequities in medicine, and LGBT health, as well as the prevention and treatment of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). He is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Medical Director of Student & Employee Health at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Malebranche is an experienced qualitative HIV behavioral prevention researcher who has completed several studies on sexual health among Black men of diverse sexualities. Dr. Malebranche has published over 50 articles in medical and public health journals such as The Annals of Internal Medicine, The American Journal of Public Health, JAMA, and the Lancet, He is known as a dynamic speaker worldwide and has appeared in documentaries on CNN, ABC News Primetime, TV One, and Black Entertainment Television (BET) for his expertise on HIV in the Black community. Dr. Malebranche served as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) from 2006 – 2008 and was the HIV clinical expert on WebMD from 2010 - 2012. He also appears in the video series #AsktheHIVDoc, which promotes HIV education on prevention and treatment, and Revolutionary Health, a biweekly YouTube Live health web series that is part of The Counter Narrative Project, an advocacy organization for Black same gender loving men. In 2015, Dr. Malebranche published his first book, a memoir about his father entitled Standing on His Shoulders. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

Theydies and themtlemen, we open with the importance of pronouns, define queerness, discuss how attraction evolves, and some precautions positive vulva owners can take with their vulva owner partners. And PSA Coldsores are herpes.