Sexual Health, Safety, and Healing: Honoring Sexual Assault Awareness Month and STI Awareness Month
Learn how Sexual Assault Awareness Month and STI Awareness Month intersect in supporting sexual health, consent, and healing. DMV sex therapist insights below.
April is a powerful month for reflection, education, and advocacy. It’s both Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Awareness Month—two observances that, while distinct, are deeply connected by the shared goals of promoting safety, informed choices, and whole-person well-being.
As a sex therapist serving the DMV area, I see firsthand how conversations around intimacy, trauma, and sexual health are often silenced by shame or discomfort. But these conversations are crucial. Whether you're navigating healing from sexual trauma, understanding STIs, or simply wanting to build a healthier relationship with your body and intimacy, this month is an opportunity to pause, and learn.
Understanding Sexual Health Holistically
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual health as "a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality—not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction, or infirmity."
This definition matters. It affirms that sexual health is not just about preventing infections or managing risk—it’s about feeling safe in your body, being able to experience pleasure, communicating your needs, and making empowered choices.
As a sex therapist in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, I work with clients who are reclaiming these very aspects of their sexual lives. For some, it’s about healing from trauma. For others, it’s about unlearning shame and opening up to intimacy in a way that honors their whole self.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Centering Safety and Consent
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is about far more than statistics—it’s about centering the stories, healing journeys, and needs of survivors. It’s about education, advocacy, and community care.
Sexual assault is any non-consensual sexual contact or behavior. It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, orientation, or background. And its impact is far-reaching, often influencing how survivors relate to their bodies, navigate relationships, and experience intimacy.
In therapy, I support clients in:
Reclaiming agency over their bodies and desires
Exploring the impact of trauma in a safe, non-judgmental space
Rebuilding trust - both in themselves and in others
Understanding that healing is not linear, and all of their responses are valid
If you’re a survivor, please know: your pain is real, and your healing is possible. You deserve support that honors your pace, your boundaries, and your story.
STI Awareness Month: Reframing Risk as Responsibility—Not Shame
There’s still so much stigma around sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Many people carry outdated or fear-based beliefs that lead to silence, secrecy, or shame. But the truth is, STIs are incredibly common, and they are and should be a normal part of sexual health conversations.
STI Awareness Month is an invitation to reframe how we think about sexual health. It’s not just about avoiding “risky behavior.” It’s about:
Normalizing regular testing
Practicing open and honest communication with partners
Understanding that a diagnosis doesn’t make you “dirty” or broken
Learning how to manage STIs in ways that support your physical and emotional health
In my work as a DMV-based intimacy and sex therapist, I often support clients in processing STI diagnoses, navigating disclosure with partners, and reconnecting with their sense of self-worth and desirability. Education and empathy are key, and so is access to judgment-free care.
How These Two Awareness Months Intersect
While Sexual Assault Awareness Month and STI Awareness Month are often observed separately, the reality is that they deeply intersect.
Survivors of sexual assault may have concerns about STIs related to their trauma, yet may also face barriers to testing or treatment due to shame, fear, or distrust. They may struggle with navigating consent after an experience where it was taken from them. They may feel confusion about their body’s responses or worry about being “too much” or “not enough” in future relationships.
Supporting survivors includes supporting their sexual health as more than an afterthought, rather, as a central part of recovery.
Likewise, conversations about STIs should always include discussions about consent, respect, and communication. Understanding how to talk about protection, ask for testing, or navigate different levels of risk is not just responsible, it’s relationally important.
You Deserve a Space for These Conversations
Whether you’re navigating the aftermath of assault, processing an STI diagnosis, or simply seeking a more intentional relationship with intimacy, you deserve a space that is safe, informed, and affirming.
As a sex therapist serving Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland, I offer trauma-informed, inclusive, and client-centered care. My goal is to support people in building relationships - with themselves and others - that are grounded in consent, curiosity, and compassion.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
This month, I invite you to engage in these awareness campaigns as a way to move closer to your own healing, empowerment, and sexual well-being.
✨ Watch the reel below for a short, affirming message about sexual health through the lens of intimacy and healing.
If you're in the DMV area and looking for a sex therapist, I’d be honored to support you. You are not alone, and you don’t have to figure this all out by yourself.
Scroll down and click “Let’s Chat!” to schedule your complimentary 20-minute consultation.
