In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth and bringing SquishyLady back, I thought it would be important to high light some of the ways that our historical traumas can inform our risks when it comes to our #squishy. Research has shown that DNA has changed in individuals that have survived generations of trauma, like African Americans enslaved and brought here. The root of slavery has been one of the greatest forms of physical/sexual, psychological, emotional, spiritual abuse to impose on to a person and those traumas are passed along to the generations that came after. With the break down of the family unit, leaving African American women to fend for themselves while their men were sold off and today imprisoned.

I share this context because when we have lived this trauma and it has been passed through our families, it impacts the way that we view our self-worth, our self-esteem, what we feel that we can ask for or demand; and even more so, to have conversations about #STD’s/#HIV, using condoms, or your definition of monogamy. Furthermore, this historical trauma is perpetuated by research that purposefully infected African American Airmen with Syphilis to identify the natural progression of the disease. All of these horrific experiences that have directly informed African Americans not to access health care, not to trust the law, not feel valued as a human being. By virtue, this has perpetuated the highest rates of #HIV and other #STDs including Chlamydia, Gonnoreah, and Syphilis, among the African American community. According to the CDC, 45% of all #HIV cases are in the African American population (https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/healthdisparities/africanamericans.html).

I believe the rates of #HIV and #STDs are highest in the African American community due to the historical trauma that is rooted in this community and that is continued to be perpetuated today; the social inequities and disparities that exist within the community; as well as, the need to self medicate to cope with these traumas, which in turn increases ones’ risk for #HIV and #STDs. The co-factors of these traumas increase our risk when we get #squishy, like not having the conversations we need to with our sexual partners about being tested for #HIV or #STDs or using condoms or even each of theirs definition of monogamy.

In a humble effort and 20 years of working directly in communicable disease prevention, I offer the following suggestions to my family and friends and the extended African American community:

  • Know that you are worthy of being healthy and having access to #squishy health care.
  • It is your right to protect your health and to prevent the transmission of infections like #HIV and #STDs.
  • Have conversations from a loving place with your #squishy partners about their definition of monogamy if that is the kind of relationship that you have agreed to be in.
  • If you can’t have conversations about monogamy or that is not the type of #squishy relationships that you are in, then use a barrier when getting some #squishy. That might include insertive condoms, receptive condoms, and dental dams for oral contact.
  • Just Google it: get educated about Sexually Transmitted Disease’s (#STD’s) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (#HIV) whether you think you are at risk or not.
  • If you haven’t gotten tested, then get tested for #HIV and other #STD’s. Even if you have tested in the past, I suggest getting tested once a year for your overall health and wellbeing.
  • Talk to your friends and family about #HIV and #STD’s, healthy communication about #squishy, protecting your health, and preventing the transmission of these infections.
  • Don’t be ashamed of what your #squishy pleasure is, get informed on how to protect your health and what activities might put you at greater risk. Sharing needles with someone who has #HIV and receptive anal sex are the highest risk behaviors for contracting #HIV.
    • Use your own injection paraphernalia
    • Get tested regularly: Know your Status
    • Use barriers when getting squishy
    • Get on PrEP to prevent the transmission of HIV
    • Sero-sort with your partners
    • Position yourself to be at lower risk or find activities that are lower risk, like oral #squishy or being the insertive partner

I named this blog from the original quote by James Baldwin, African American writer and play writer who said, “Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” I felt this quote was a great platform in thinking about our historical traumas and how they continue to impede our health and sometimes our #squishy risk. We have to get educated, be proactive in protecting our health, identifying our risks, and seek medical treatment if we get infected. #HIV and #STDs are 100% preventable, treatable and some of them are curable. Our health has no limitation and if we know where we came from then we know where we are going: healthy living.

I hope you find this month’s edition of #squishytalk helpful and that it will start the conversation not only here on social media, but amongst each other and at our dinner tables. Please hit me up if you have any questions and until next month, be safe! #squishytalk

SquishyLady

“Who knew squishy could be so dangerous!”