Maybe HIV scarred our generation more those who came after. I was in junior high when it really became known. I remember parents who were terrified we may learn it was passed through casual contact, the scientists who forecast the ability for the virus to go airborne. and the fear we all had when we learned sex could kill us. That's pretty heavy stuff as you prepare for your first date.
It also changed parental culture. Parents were (rightfully) told that they were doing kids a disservice by leaving them to a token sex ed class and whispers to fill in the blanks. Ignorance was exposed, as we learned that some girls still thought you couldn't get pregnant your first time, or that eating certain foods would keep you from pregnancy. We learned just how big the information gap was between minorities, which corresponded with pregnancy rates and other STD transmission.
If you're at risk, go get tested. Just for the heck of it, reassure yourself that everything is okay. Or, if there is a chance of bad news, spare your life and several others. Denial is no excuse.
Also, keep this in mind as we struggle to teach kids about sex while the word "vagina" can't be said in mixed company. While we make birth control more difficult to obtain, realize the young adults of the day are likely to pay for that with their lives. So that some can feel proper, others will be forced to bear the burden necessary.
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