I’m on the soccer team. That’s how I identify myself to people. I don’t know why that became my first identity but before “I’m a Virginian, I’m a blond, I’m in ADPi, I’m a student, etc.,” that’s how I introduce myself. Everyone’s looking to belong to something; they’re looking to associate with a bigger group or identity. But when someone comes out of the closet, they’re no longer a frat bro or team member, they’re known for not being straight. When being interviewed, a 16 year old lesbian activist she said, “I love being queer… but sometimes I want to be Jenny, not Queer Jenny” (Levine 622). Why is that a different kind of sexuality automatically becomes the official new identity? This terrifies many adolescents attempting to identify their sexuality as LGBT.

When families, friends, and the community ostracize LGBT teens just coming out of the closet, it leads teens to be desperate to gain a support system. “Family hostility is in fact a leading cause of homelessness among teen youth” (Levine 622). Homeless teens are forced to extreme actions… if they’re not old enough, they can’t work, they can’t go anywhere. “Parent’s abandonment of overt rejection is partially responsible for the dramatic rise of teen male prostitution in the United States” (Levine 622). Any type of prostitution is dangerous for any kind of human, let alone teens with the lack of confidence from societal rejection.

Homeless homosexual teens are looking for a place to stay, eat, and any kind of comfort they can grab. Prostituting themselves becomes a easy way to have a temporary home for a night or two. They live day to day never looking at the future; losing respect for their souls and body in the meantime. These unsafe actions have a high risk of getting and transmitting sexually transmitted diseases and infections; among them, HIV.  There are groups attempting to reach out to “street kids” to teach them about the hazards of a risky sexual lifestyle and how to prevent the transmission of diseases.

Many people are just ignorant of STD’s are feel invincible. “It won’t happen to me… I won’t get a STD…” Why is that we feel invincible? In “Damaged Goods,” Nack reports a story of a 20 year old college student who received phone call from a former sexual partner informing her that he has an STD and that she should get checked (Nack 488). It can happen to anyone. The statistics make it clear: the CDC estimates that there are 19 million new infections every year in the United States (STD Trends, CDC). Everyone needs to open their eyes, get informed and practice healthy and risk-free sex. The CDC recommends to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases in order to prevent infertility, and even death. “Less than half of people who should be screened receive recommended STD screening services” (STD Trends, CDC).

In Carlos Del Rio Viral Cultures lecture, he talks about the realization of AIDS & HIV. In the 80’s there was a disease spreading and no one knew about it until years later and it’s too late. He identifies what a person with AIDS looked like in the 80’s as white, male, middle-class, and gay. In 2012, he identifies a person with AIDS as African American, male or female, poor, with possible mental health problems.  But really do STD’s have a particular image of a person to them? Sexually-active people are all at risk.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/trends.htm

Levine, Judith. “Community.” Sexuality and Public Policy. Print.

Nack, Adina. “Damaged Goods.” Sexual Health. Print.