TikToker Chris Olsen recently shared that he has contracted chlamydia three times. It’s a stunning admission considering how rarely other social media influencers ever talk about getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
“So I’ve had chlamydia three times,” Olsen said in a recently posted video, quickly adding, “End the stigma.”
“The nurse [at the STI clinic], who I’ve seen before … was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen you in a while,'” he continued. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s been a little dry down there.'”
Olsen said the nurse tried to hook him up with her gay son. When Olsen later found him on Instagram, he realized her son was the ex-boyfriend of a dude who ghosted Olsen last year. “The world is too small,” he wrote in his video’s caption.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The influencer also noted that the nurse called him later to say that his chlamydia test came back negative. “Small wins!” he said at the end of his video.
@chris THIS WORLD IS TOO SMALL
Olsen’s admission is especially noteworthy considering that the 25-year-old influencer has over 9.6 million TikTok followers. His video has gotten an estimated 8.2 million views as of Tuesday, January 24, 2023 — almost enough for every resident of New York City to have watched it once!
It’s hardly surprising for a sexually active queer man to contract an STI. Anywhere from 20% to 50% of Americans will contract an STI in their lifetime, according to the CDC and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
But, despite its commonality, it’s super rare for a queer man on social media to discuss contracting STIs, especially when they have as many followers as Olsen. That’s because people still feel a lot of slut-shame and stigma around STIs, as if they’re moral punishments for “bad behavior” rather than just common illnesses.
One friend compared STIs to colds and flus — illnesses you can contract in a playground — except the adult playground is the bedroom, and STIs affect your sexual organs rather than your respiratory organs.
“We don’t shame people for contracting colds,” the friend said, “so why should we for contracting an STI?”
Jenelle Marie Pierce, board president of the STI Project, said that STI conversations tend to be “wrapped up in a lot of trepidation, fear, ethics, and morality.” That’s why she praised Olsen’s video and its use of conversational humor.
“What I love most about this video is the casual conversation that’s taking place between the influencer and the audience, which is none too different than a typical disclosure conversation,” Pierce said. “In some ways, it’s serious, yes, but it can also be fun and affirming. It’s a dialogue where information is shared and decisions are made and then, hopefully, fun is had. What’s not to like about that, right?”
Pierce said more people should be talking about chlamydia considering that over 1.8 million Americans contracted chlamydia in 2019. But “unsurprisingly, we don’t have a lot of examples to reference,” she added, pointing out that celebrities are sometimes applauded or shamed for publicly discussing their own STIs.
As Olsen said, it’s time to “end the stigma.” Friendly conversations like his can help normalize STIs, change people’s perceptions of them, and keep friends and communities healthy and informed, stigma be damned.
Discover more
Bengali
I do not see even the least bit of attractiveness of Chris. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and I don’t mind if the guy camps up his gayness. But it’s not sexy. It’s not hot and I don’t care how many muscles you have or cute little freckies you have on your nose: you ain’t gettin’ my dimes, quarters or dollar bills.
mrcynical
Its tiktok, not only fans, he’s not asking
tmball13
His ex, Ian, is much more attractive, and an incredible dancer. I don’t understand why Chris gets the attention he gets. I just consider him annoying.
Prax07
I just find it funny that the ones that are getting venereal diseases on multiple repeats are the loudest crying to end the stigma.
RIGay
Suggestion to them: Don’t post on social media that you have an STI… multiple times…
and then wonder why no one wants to go out on a date.
drmiller
If you have sex, even safe sex, you are increasing your chances of contracting an STI. Having sex is a perfectly normal and healthy attribute of being human—gay or straight. We stigmatize STI’s, and by extension, any kind of sexual activity. The point is for us all to calm down a little bit and recognize our shared humanity. Some infections are curable, and some are only treatable. But we shouldn’t be villainizing people who don’t share your approach to sex or align with your moral framing of it.
Mary Jane
Maybe if you know you are a very active person, you should check in with your doctor or local clinic, to find out if you are healthy or not.
Sorry, but the bedroom is not the only place where adults play.
1898
“…and then wonder why no one wants to go out on a date.”
@RIGay — uhhhh, if he’s 25 years old and has already caught chlamydia three times, i would say he is NOT having any trouble finding a date. if anything, he maybe needs to slow down a bit!
FRE0
I see it as a matter of taking care of one’s health. Doing so requires eating right, getting sufficient exercise, refraining from smoking and other health hazards, etc. And, avoiding STDs is simply one more facet of taking care of one’s health. As I see it, our health is our responsibility, not the responsibility of the medical profession. Of course the medical profession is there to help, but still our health is primarily our responsibility.
Of course we all sometimes do something unwise, and I see having multiple sex partners as unwise. There are many infectious agents and some go unnoticed and undetected until serious problems result. For example, an HPV infection could eventually lead to throat cancer which is exceedingly serious. Some infections which were once easily cured have become resistant to antibiotics and therefore difficult to treat. New ones will probably come along, some of which cannot be treated. HIV cannot be cured and the medications to prevent it and keep it in check do long term damage to the body.
Kangol2
HPV also can lead to rectal, uterine, cervical, and penile cancer. That said, it is exceedingly common in the general population, though thankfully there is a vaccine for the most common strains, and all parents should get their children vaccinated before they become sexually active.
Mary Jane
Freo, your comments could be used as an ad for those who bother to notice them.
Doug
I thought this guy looked hot in the main article photo.
Once he started talking, however…
Mary Jane
Maybe you and those feel as you do. Should gag him while the good times roll? Charge him a thousand bucks for every word he utters while engaging in playtime.
Moaning may be excused.
RoyM
What a repulsive fellow. And when a person gets STI multiple times, and is such a frequent flyer at the clinic, one would think that anyone with half a brain would change how they operate. Seems kinda stupid doesn’t it?
Brian
Very. That’s why it’s ridiculous for the site to call this a “journey.” He’s merely telling an anecdote where he does the same thing every time. No thinking, no observation, no growth. There’s no reason for his post at all. This is all way too hyped up.
RIGay
WHY do PEOPLE INSIST they have to share ALL this information?
“Hey World! Had chlamydia THREE TIMES! Let’s hook up!” Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew.
Much like “I had my Botox on my anu$!”
I. DON’T. WANT. TO. KNOW. Save it for the guy you are trying to score with for the night.
What’s next? “I have reoccurring genital warts! Wanna see the scars?!?”
drmiller
….? If you don’t want to know then why are you here on this specific article? Just keep scrolling.
RIGay
@drmiller – IT’S IN THE FREAKING TITLE and BLASTED IN THE NEWS FEED. Hard to unsee it.
People just have no filters any more.
ZzBomb
Look it’s important to share your status w/ your sexual partners to help stem STI’s in the community. It’s entirely another thing to be sharing this on social media. Yes, STI’s do happen, yes you can be an adult about it and not over share with the world what is happening in your pants.
still_onthemark
On a lighter note, when I first read the headline I thought it said “contracting chlamydia three times FROM his 9.6M TikTok followers”
There’s too much stigma against “stigma” now!
RIGay
….in one night!
Fname Optional Lname
He’s so clueless he announces his STI’s with bragging rights! He wants EVERYONE to know he’s active and actively looking to be active. Nothing wrong with healthy sexual activity but he just leaves a bad taste in your mouth with his approach. No education – just wearing it on his sleeve with pride! What’s next ? Encouraging clinics to generate a “free visit” coupon for every 10 STI’s treated.
bachy
“I like someone who identifies as someone who is over 6 feet tall! That doesn’t mean they have to be over 6 feet tall, they just have to have the aura of someone who is.”
Someone please stop this train I want to get off.
Kangol2
Strangely the author of the article above doesn’t say why it’s important to publicly discuss STIs. It isn’t just to “end the stigma,” which is an important goal, but also to alert people that sex doesn’t come without risks, and now that most men having sex with men are probably engaging in raw/condomless sex, it’s important to
1) know that you can easily contract an STI;
2) know what the symptoms of common STIs are;
3) know that most STIs are treatable if caught early;
4) know that most STIs can have serious effects if NOT treated;
5) know that some STIs have drug-resistant strains, like some strains of gonorrhea spreading right now;
6) know that you can prevent most STIs through meds (PrEP/PEP for HIV) and/or condoms.
So there’s more to think about than just reducing “the stigma” or ending it, and maybe Queerty will add that into future articles.
Consider This
Guess I don’t have an overwhelming issue with him taking these STI infections more casually, as long as HE is the one infected.
Were I infected, I would take things quite a bit more seriously, especially with an original chlamydia infection and 2 recurrences.
On a related note – wonder how many guys HE has infected during those 3 STIs….
winemaker
Something like this is personal and really needn’t be broadcast publicly. My late mother usd to say ‘classy people don’t air their dirty laundry or discuss personal business in public’ We get enough irelevant daily from the bimbo kardashians, brittney spaears etc
mastik8
Did he just announce publicly that having sex with him is like stepping on a rusty nail?
MinnesotaNotNice
What a human stain this creep is. An influencer? That’s just another way of describing someone who finds honest work to be beneath them and needs to be constantly in the public eye, desperate for attention. So glad I don’t have TikTok.
scotty
stop holding the koalas then.
Wicked Dickie
What an unfortunate looking man.