PROMOTING THE DEATH INSTINCT: Vox’s Report on Herpes Wasn’t About Herpes.

ESQUIRE jumped on this for Vox’s manipulation of data to include simplex 1 (common cold sores) with simplex 2 (the sex sores) in order to boost numbers while crafting the post to imply it’s all sex sores, so don’t bother testing or worrying. Some others jumped on Vox for discussing STDs as if they are risk free and consequence free, when in reality there are a host of physical side effects and possible pathogen mind and behavioral alterations. Missing from this valid criticism is the awareness that this is part of a wider campaign to diminish the negatives of STDs, push STD acceptance and if it relates to s3x, it must be good. . . .

Does it seem like the media has been pushing STDs, because it has. Slate argued that Canada’s new law requiring HIV+ people to inform potential lovers they are HIV+ is bad. This is a death sentence. Not three years like the ’80s and early ’90s, but still dead after twenty. Slate thinks that is bad. There have been articles on HIV+ being a turn on for gays (bugchasing). Gay men looking at HIV like it is a creation outside of conception that heteros do. We read in these outlets that we should not discriminate with our choices of partners versus those with STDs. This is once again dragging people down to the level of those who spread, infect, et cetera whom we might say are easy, loose or oh no, I’m slut shaming. Trans* is not the only new frontier in pushing sex boundaries.