Sarit Luban

Sarit Luban is a freelance writer based in Boston.

The Problem With Personal ‘Confessionals’ About Sexually Transmitted Infections

In the first-person STI story, the diagnosis represents a betrayal or a fall from grace, eventually culminating in a resolution that feels almost like a moral by discovering a silver lining or positioning oneself as the righteous victim of a cheating or lying ex. These “I found out I had an STI, but now I’m OK” pieces are often composed primarily of descriptions of devastation and shame, ending as soon as things turn around.