EP 7: Casual Conversations Breaking The Stigma of STDs & STIs ( Guest Jenelle Marie Pierce)

In this episode Jenelle and I talk about the culture barriers and stigmas associated with STI (sexually transmitted infections) and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). We want to normalize these needed conversations and eradicate some of the fear and ignorance around these topics. 

We also touch on the bypassing or holier-than-thou-I-am-too-spiritual-to-get-an-std way of thinking that can ignorantly infiltrate the soiritual community.

How often do you get tested? When was the last time you git tested? What are your safe sex practices? 

You'll want to stick around to the end as we celebrate some of the great accomplishments of this BA human! 

About Jenelle: 

Jenelle Marie Pierce is the Executive Director of The STI Project: Breaking the Stigma®, an Adjunct Professor, and a Spokesperson for PositiveSingles.com. As an STI+ Sexual Health Educator and content creator, Jenelle has been dismantling stigma by reclaiming STI narratives® through awareness, education, and acceptance since 2012.



Jenelle also tri-chairs the Communications Action Group for the National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH), and she is a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (IUASTD), the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association (ASTDA), the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), and The Intermountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition.



Jenelle's work has been featured in popular TV, radio, and print outlets such as: The Washington Post, CNN, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Jezebel, Forbes, HuffPost Live, NPR, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Refinery 29, The Daily Mail, Bustle, and many more. Current bylines can be found in Ovee, SELF, HepatitisC.net, Kinkly, PornHub’s Sexual Wellness Center, and Allure.



In her spare time, she teaches group fitness classes and spends time outdoors camping, snow shoeing, hiking, skiing, kayaking, growing things, running through sprinklers, and building sand castles. You can also find Jenelle on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and TikTok.