Feminine Action

I have a kind of fascination and special interest in the well being and health of the female human kind. It must be because I’m a woman, or maybe because I do believe that to be a female is a special attribute or gift. When I was a little girl, my mom taught me how to appreciate the fact that I was a woman. Since then, I’ve learned to honor my femininity and all the good things that being a woman involve. Today, I’m a grown-up lady with a sophisticated point of view of what it means to be a woman in the 21 century.

During the last decades of the twentieth century, women all around the world struggled to achieve success and to ensure womens’ rights, dignity and place in the modern world. At the end, women in the world united and the feminist movement was born. This movement succeeded creating a new beginning for women all around the globe. Of course, not everything that happened can be considered an achievement, but with no doubt I can assure you that women have achieved a lot during the past 5 or 6 decades.

However, this morning I was reading “El Nuevo Día” and I found an article that captured my attention. It was related to sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) and their increasing occurrence in young women between the ages of 21 and 35 years. The number one STD in USA and in Puerto Rico its Chlamydia, and its occurrence is high in young women. The worst part of this news is that Chlamydia is a silent disease, so you may have it but it will take you months or even years to know that you are infected. As a result, you may lose your fertility or even your life in the process of discovering the condition.

This information makes me sad. It’s hard to believe that women my age are unaware of the dangers and risks of contracting an STD’s when they engage in the practice of unprotected sex. Moreover, it is hard for me to understand that women of my generation feel good about fighting for their rights to have better jobs but are resistant to fighting for their rights to be and stay healthy. It makes no sense that in this new century, women are still afraid to ask their partners to use a condom in order to protect their own bodies from contracting an STD. This seems irrational to me, it makes no sense at all to put ourselves everyday at the risk of dying at a young age.

No third party is worth losing your health or even your life. If someone is in love with you and respects you, he or she would not hesitate to wear a condom when engaging in sexual intercourse with you. Protection should be more important than pride and its Latino version called “machismo.” Wearing a condom is an easy and cheap way to show love and respect for our significant other. This practice should only change or cease when the couple is engaged in a monogamous and faithful relationship.

I know there is not a way to protect ourselves 100%, however, it is our responsibility to engage in safe and healthy sexual practices in order to preserve our lives and the life of our partner. It is part of being an adult to take care of ourselves and to ensure a healthy and long lasting life. There is nothing wrong in avoiding the risk of contracting an STD. Be aware, stay healthy.