Although I don’t want my patients to get an STD, what I am really afraid of is that they will think less of themselves because of the STD and unintentionally settle for less because they are “damaged goods.” This is simply not true. A good person is a good person and I know that they think that they are “dirty” when they have the diagnosis of an STD, but life is not perfect and when they view themselves this way, they unintentionally give others permission to treat them with disrespect. This kind of validation can be so painful to the spirit and result in physical harm if the person who validates you is also physically abusive.

So, I tell my teens think good thoughts because those are the thoughts that tell others how they should treat you. And since no one asks to get an STD, get paralyzed in a drunk driving accident or burned by a jealous lover, at some point you have to stop asking, “why me?” and simply pick yourself up, hold your head high and go on with your life because you are still a good and deserving person.

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