TikTokers Attempt To Normalize Herpes Contracted From Casual Sex: "STIs Are Normal"

Hookup culture has resulted in thousands of women casually dating multiple men (often at once) without a care in the world, thinking it will empower them and help them feel more confident about their body. But after years of sexual promiscuity, many women are starting to be honest about the negative effects that come from hookup culture, such as depression and anxiety, loneliness and despair, unplanned pregnancies, and STIs. But we're now seeing a new narrative online: there's nothing wrong contracting an STI from hooking up with random people. In fact, some TikTokers are trying to make it sound completely normal.

TikTokers Attempt to Normalize Herpes and STIs Contracted from Casual Sex

In a viral video on TikTok, a content creator (@suzbub) responds to the idea that people shouldn't normalize having herpes because it's not normal. She says, "Intimacy is normal. Getting sick is normal. So herpes is normal. Viruses are normal. STIs are normal. Now shut it and look at my Crocs."

She is wearing a black bra with black leggings and a black shrug, and when you click on her profile, you can see that her entire page is dedicated to herpes and STIs. She describes herself in her bio as a "herpes advocate" and "your sensual guide." She tells people how to date casually if they have herpes, criticizes men who aren't interested in dating women who have herpes, and insists that "nothing is off limits" when you have herpes.

She has nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok and many people comment on her videos to express their praise and admiration for @suzbub's willingness to talk about this topic publicly. However, not everyone sees it this way. Twitter user @Slatzism, founder of Reduxx Mag, tweeted, "People coping out loud about their hookup culture STIs appears to be the newest frontier of 'normalization' discourse."

Indeed, there seems to be something new that progressives are attempting to “normalize,” even when that something should not be normalized, glorified, or romanticized. Hookup culture itself should have never been normalized, as it is harmful to women, it discourages marriage and family, and it can result in physical and mental effects like depression, anxiety, and sexually transmitted illnesses. Because our culture has tried so hard to make degeneracy seem normal, we've now arrived at the point where TikTokers are actually trying to convince people that it's perfectly fine to contract herpes from hooking up with random people. In fact, it's something that you should wear proudly, as there's nothing wrong with getting an STI from random sex. This is a new low for women, especially considering how STIs and STDs are on the rise.

STDs have long been a public health concern in the United States. Among women, there has been an alarming uptick in the rates of these infections over the last decade. The surge can be attributed to several factors, including changing sexual behaviors and gaps in sex education. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2022 reported an increasing trend in several STDs, notably gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, marking the sixth consecutive year of sharp increases. Among these, chlamydia remains the most reported STD in the U.S., with a disproportionately higher prevalence in women. Young women, particularly those aged 15-24, account for nearly half of all diagnosed cases.

A substantial increase in the cases of primary and secondary syphilis among women is also cause for concern. Between 2014 and 2018, syphilis cases among women increased by 172.7%, leading to a surge in the number of newborns born with syphilis. Syphilis during pregnancy can lead to neonatal death or severe lifelong physical and neurological issues for the baby, further underscoring the gravity of the issue. Gonorrhea is another common STD that has shown a significant rise, with over 600,000 cases reported in 2018. Although the rate of infection is generally higher in men, an increasing number of women are being affected, leading to serious complications like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Herpes type 2, which causes genital herpes, is estimated to affect almost 12% of people between ages 14 and 49.

Addressing this increasing trend in STD rates requires a multi-pronged approach. Sex education must be improved, emphasizing the importance of regular screening, safe sex practices, and early treatment. However, we must also be honest with women (and men) about the consequences of casual sex. Rather than trying to appear "compassionate" and encouraging people to engage in destructive behavior because it's going to make them feel empowered or "sexy," we need to be honest about what really happens when you casually give your body away to random people.