Condoms are only about 50% effective in preventing the spread of HPV. The biggest problem here is that men do not get tested. Also, I got the original vaccine when I was younger. But guess how many doctors recommended I get Guardasil 9 when that came out? ZERO.

I’ve also been misinformed and recommended against getting tested for herpes countless times. Once I requested a blood test for both HSV 1 and HSV 2 twice during my appointment. Once in the beginning, and a second time when I realized they were about to check me out though I’d never had my blood drawn. My doctor ordered neither. When I got him on the phone to complain, he told me if I’d never had an outbreak, I didn’t have herpes. Facepalm. This one went to Penn so I really thought he wasn’t going to be an idiot for once.