A lot of people find it hard to talk to their partners about sex in general. But discussing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) specifically can be even more challenging. It is such a fraught topic that many people who have STIs don’t even tell their partners. That’s why I’ve put together a two-part series for you on STI disclosure. In today’s show, we’re going to discuss how to tell your partner you have an STI. In the next episode, we’re going to explore what to do when your partner tells you they have an STI.

My guest today is Dr. Kayley McMahan, a sexual health scholar and educator. She serves as the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she also teaches an undergraduate Human Sexuality class. Kayley recently co-authored a comprehensive review article in the Journal of Sex Research focused on STI disclosure.

Some of the topics we cover in this episode include:

• At any given point in time, how many people have an STI?


• How many people who have an STI actually disclose this information?


• What are the main reasons people with STIs don’t tell their partners about their status?


• When is the right time to tell a partner that you have an STI?


• What are some strategies for bringing up the subject of STIs with a partner?

You can find out more about Kayley here and connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.