Karen Savoy / Sputnik Photography

Editor’s Note: The headline and graphic was changed due to a rebranding adjustment.

The following anonymous submission has been modified to protect the identities of the individuals involved.

I went on a date with a girl named Lucy that went terribly wrong but also kind of well. We decided to go out for coffee and when I picked her up, it was naturally a little awkward. After some small talk, we had a lot in common and had many shared interests. We also share a mutual friend name John. As we were heading into the coffee shop, Lucy got a call, and I couldn’t help but overhear the doctor telling her she had tested positive for chlamydia. I tried my best to hold it in, but I couldn’t help but laugh. She was mortified, but I told her it was no big deal. After a bit, I remembered John telling me that he had slept with Lucy in the past and he had tested positive for chlamydia as well. It hit me that my best friend had slept with and given chlamydia to the girl I was on a date with. Long story short, we are dating now. 

Wow, talk about a memorable first date story! You handled a very delicate situation with tons of compassion and it seems to have paid off because now you two are still together. I think this a great example of how to handle a sensitive topic, such as STIs, while also helping to erase some of the stigma surrounding these very common infections.  

If you also have a love story you would like to share, enter your submission anonymously here.

This was originally published in print Volume 23, Issue 1 on Thursday, Aug. 31.