Life & Style. Have a fitness tip or recipe to share? Contact the editor at lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Protect yourself: a Between the Sheets guide to STI prevention By Viv Steele, Sex Correspondent elcome back, readers! I hope you had a wonderful break from essays and readings, and that you got some time to cozy up with your loved ones and try some of my winter warm-up sex tips. For my first column of 2013, I want to talk about an issue that’s dear to my heart as a sex columnist, sexually active human, and all around pro-sex person. The issue is that of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, and the stigma surrounding the testing and care of them. In our generation’s pop-culture, it’s completely acceptable to make jokes at the expense of those who suffer from STIs, such as herpes or gonorrhoea. These kinds of jokes take place in movies, on TV, and in casual conversation: “Come on, share that drink with me. It’s not like I have herpes or anything!” You know the jokes. The thing I find ironic about this form of humour is that, while youth are so willing to hop on the laughter bandwagon, they’re not so quick to board the safer-sex train and actu- ally do the hard work to avoid passing on STIs. It seems completely backwards, right? We’re in this society that vilifies people who, through doing nothing different than their peers, contract painful and sometimes life-threatening diseases, yet the very steps to prevent spreading these diseases is conspicuously absent from discussions in pop culture. People in porn don’t wear condoms, you never see How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson heading to the clinic to get tested, and there are no good examples on televi- sion about how to have an open discussion with anew partner about their (and your) sexual history. Safer sex practices (like using a condom, no matter how inconvenient or bad it feels), regular testing, and open communication are the best ways to stop the spread of diseases. Testing for HIV in particular has been embraced in countries like France, according to a November 2012 article in the Vancouver Sun, which also reports that “at least one quarter of those infected at any given time are unaware they have HIV.” HIV/AIDS scientist Dr. Julio Montaner and his coauthors wrote in a Canadian Medical Association Journal edi- torial that “a 20-year-old who receives a diagnosis of HIV and treatment [...] can expect to live until the age of 73 years.” HIV isn’t a death sentence anymore, but it can be if testing and discussion continue to be stigmatized. When/’s the last time you bought condoms? When/’s the last time you got tested? How did you find the experience? My experience with STI testing has been overwhelmingly negative. I don’t want to say that my experience is the norm, but I worry that it is. When I went in for a routine test at a walk-in clinic I was Three New Year's resolutions you won't keep, and three alternatives that you might By Sophie Isbister, Staff Writer Ne Year’s is the time of year when we put our best foot forward and set goals that we will hopefully achieve by the end of the year. And with those goals come the naysayers. Folk who say that the gym is going to be packed at the beginning of January, and then go back to normal as soon as all of those resolving give up. People who say the bars are going to be empty for a couple weeks, but invariably the hardcore drinkers will filter back in, as one by one their resolutions bite the dust. There are some resolutions you won't keep, but for every failed goal, there’s a 10 counterpart that just might work for you. Resolution you won't keep: Eat better. Everyone wants to eat better, kick the fat and the salt, pass by the Triple-O’s and make a beeline for the salad bar. But with vague, wishy-washy sentiments like “eat better,” you'll never succeed. So try this instead: Bring a lunch to school or work every day. This idea works because it’s something you can actually do. Bringing your own lunch (depending on what you bring, obviously) is usually going to be healthier than pre-packaged, expensive cafeteria food or grease- laden fast food. With your own lunch you can control portions and salt and you can eat clean and make tangible steps towards being healthier. Resolution you won't keep: Get out of debt/save money. This one’s tough too! In a region like the Lower Mainland, where rent is high and wages are low, students and workers alike can find themselves living paycheck to paycheck (or loan to loan, if you’re like me). It’s cheap talk to simply say, “I’m going to get out of debt!” Say this instead: Put $50 to $100 onto my credit card balance from every paycheck. You may not pay it all off, but it’s manageable, makes a dent, and more importantly, you don’t set yourself up for failure. Resolution you won't keep: Get fit! Anyone who’s fit will tell you that physical fitness is about lifestyle. You may use your resolution energy to spur you into a one-or-two-month gym frenzy, but if working out has never been your bag, it’s probably not going to stick just because you decided on January 1 that it might. Here’s an idea that might work: Take the long way home. This resolution will be different for everyone depending on their commute, but there are many ways to alter your routine to include more physical movement. Say you usually take the bus for 10 minutes to get to the SkyTrain station to get to school. Resolve to walk for interrogated by the clinic staff about why I thought I should be tested. I thought that simply being a sexually active person was enough to warrant a test. After all, it just takes one sexual experience with one person to expose yourself to risk. Students can do a number of things to protect themselves and their friends. Ask your friends if they use protection. Head to the DSU or the Womens’ Centre to pick up some free condoms. Talk to your general practitioner about getting tested, or if it’s more comfortable for you, go to a walk-in clinic or youth clinic. Practice having frank discussions with your friends about your sexual history and condom use so that when the time comes to have that talk with a potential partner, it will be less awkward. Take control of your sexuality so that you can enjoy it for many years to come. 30 minutes instead. It’ll get your blood moving for up to an extra hour a day, and only tack 40 minutes onto your commute. And it’s sustainable. Are you sensing a trend here? Resolutions that are targeted, quantifiable, and fit in with your lifestyle are more likely to be kept. They’re also more interesting to talk about. Who doesn’t want to hear about someone’s master plan for self-improvement? Hopefully, armed with my advice, you'll be able to create the perfect road map to whatever it is you want to achieve in your personal life in 2013. All the best to you!