Last week I went to get tested for STDs. That’s what happens when you get tattoos in third world countries (5 to be exact). When I called to make my appointment the lady asked if I was married, to which I said no. She then asked if I had a boyfriend, and again I said no. “No sex tonight,” she said.
I chuckled under my breath. When I went in the next day, the first question she asked was if I had sustained from 
having sex. Y’all, it had been 11 hours since I talked to her! I clearly hadn’t landed a boyfriend or a husband in that amount of time. I answered a short yes and continued filling out paper work. One of the questions it asks is, “How many partners have you had?”
I thought about that for a long time. How this swipe right society has opened so many doors to instant gratification, even when it’s another person’s body. How, at the end of our fingertips, we have the ability to make choices that can burn our hearts and scar us for a lifetime. You might think I am exaggerating, but scientifically they can go into a females DNA and tell how many sexual partners she has had in her life.
You guys, I’m not making this stuff up! Sex has become this typical, take it for a ride expectation in relationships and it’s sickening. Because whether you realize it or not, you’re handing your soul over on a platter to someone who might not even care about your heart. And women, yep, you get the dud end of the deal because there’s no unmarking DNA, its just not possible.
I write this because I know what it’s like to give myself to someone who didn’t deserve it. I know what it’s like to stand on the sidelines and wait. I know what it’s like to also take, and not care about the heart I took from. And I know what it’s like to hold onto the shame of all of that combined.
I won’t sit here and tell you I’m perfect. I know it’s hard when you desire to be loved, and to give love in return. But your body, your heart, and your soul shouldn’t be as easy as checking out a Redbox for 24 hours. Remember, love is patient, it is not self-seeking, it protects, trusts, and perseveres… Just know you are worth more than $1.29.
– Aubray Scott
Aubray is a speaker, writer, and connector of people. She is the founder of the Podcast: Table and Tide which empowers people to share their stories and walk in who they were created to be. Her hope is to use this platform to turn tragedies into triumph. To create a community that embodies bringing the mess to the table, and supporting each other while doing so. She believes every person has a story to tell and many times, those stories happen around the table. Her desire is to use those stories to create a tide that will empower others to know they are not alone.
