Talking to your healthcare provider about sex, your sex life, and your overall sexual well-being can sometimes be uncomfortable, for all kinds of reasons. Speaking up for yourself is important, and your provider needs to know how to best assist you.
Through meaningful dialogue, rooted in shared decision-making and respect, your provider can make talking about sexual health, pleasure, and bodily autonomy, including HIV prevention, feel more comfortable and normalized. Below are considerations, talking points, and questions to help inspire these critical conversations.
This resource is part of SHE/HER/THEY (Sexual Health Education/HIV Empowerment Resources/Treating HIV Equally), The Well Project's educational outreach initiative focused on improving engagement in care, health outcomes, and well-being for women living with and vulnerable to HIV while promoting language justice and holistic wellness through a non-stigmatizing lens.
Considerations
- You are the single best person to take up for yourself, because you are the expert in your own life. Speak up and speak often.
- Your reasons are your own for seeking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), HIV testing, and other sexual health tools. Providers are encouraged to discuss PrEP with anyone who asks about it.
- Your provider can only help you with the things they know are happening. You can communicate your needs in the way that is most comfortable to you.
- Your pleasure is a part of your overall health. Sex is more than just reproductive choices and protection from STIs (sexually transmitted infections).
- Your choices are valid and should be respected without judgment
- You deserve trustworthy care. This means you can trust your provider’s suggestions and that your provider considers your lived experience in those suggestions.
- In situations where you do not feel that you are being heard or respected, it is okay to seek a different care provider, or to use resources like The Well Project to help you find other options
- Your real-life experience impacts your health. Sex may at times be connected to survival, substance use, housing, or money. If or when any of these are part of your sexual experience, focus and care should be given to harm reduction, not judgment.
How Do I Bring this Up to My Provider?
Below is a list of sample questions to help guide conversations with your provider about sexual health, STI prevention, and wellness.
| Sexual Activity and Health |
*PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) may be taken within 72 hours of a potential HIV exposure to prevent HIV acquisition. |
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| STI Prevention and Testing |
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| Harm Reduction |
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This project is supported by ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action Grant Program and Merck
