Ep. 27 Pt. 1 | What sex and intimacy look like with Herpes (w/ Courtney Brame)
Ari interviews Sex Educator and STI testing & minimization activist, Courtney Brame (he/him). Courtney advocates for sex-positive, identity-affirming, stigma-reducing Sex Ed on his platform/podcast, “Something Positive for Positive People”. Courtney shares how he remained sex-positive and empowered after testing positive for Herpes in 2013.
Courtney and Ari chat about changing the conversation from “How many partners have you had?” to “When was your last STI test?”, prioritizing sexual safety and communication in relationships, and Courtney’s larger mission of harm-reduction through judgement-free sex education for healthcare providers and those diagnosed “positive” with an STI.
Burning Questions answered in this episode:
✨ The differentiation between HSV1 (oral herpes) & HSV2 (genital herpes) — and the statistical trends blurring the line between the two
✨ How to navigate stigma, trauma and shame surrounding a positive STI diagnosis
✨ How to tell someone you have an STI (*sexually-transmitted infection — NOT ‘disease’)
✨ Why trust and communication about your testing status is critical to new partnerships
✨ What are “Super Gonorrhea” and “Super Chlamydia”?
Resources & Mentions
Something Positive for Positive People: https://www.spfpp.org/
Courtney’s Podcast: https://www.spfpp.org/podcast
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