Interviewer: Hey! So you said it was important to have this interview, and you had a lot you wanted to talk about. Can you state your name, age and pronouns, and tell me what’s on your mind today?
Josh: My name is Josh, and I am 17yrs old. My pronouns are he/him. I have A LOT on my mind.
Interviewer: Ok I guess we are jumping right into it then! LOL. So what’s happening?
Josh: Ok so, boom: I have been talking to this boy, he’s 17. We just celebrated his birthday like last month. But anyway, I’m Ace, right? But I really like this boy. We’ve been vibing, and he’s so cute! So I have been thinking about taking it further, but I don’t know, you know? Both of us are virgins, I think.
Interviewer: So what is it that you’re not sure about?
Josh: OMG how do I tell him I want to use condoms? I went to this program, and they showed us how to use them correctly and I want to talk to him about trying it out, you know, if we are going to take it to that next level
Interviewer: Ok, I can understand why you might be scared to talk about it, but it seems like you two have a good bond, right?
Josh: Well yeah. He always says he wants to wait until we both know we are ready, but I want to make sure when it happens, we are being safe. I don’t want to catch anything. I’d be devastated!
Interviewer: That’s fair. But maybe think about it this way, what if he agrees with you? You say that he will wait until you’re both ready, have you told him you’ve been thinking about taking it to this level?
Josh: Yeah, I told him I’ve been thinking about it, but he always says “are you sure? I want to make sure we are ready.” But I guess I might be? If we can be safe, I guess.
Interviewer: ok, so maybe frame it that way when you talk about condom use. Tell him “I want to make sure we do this safely, I’d like for us to use condoms.” And see where it goes from there.
Josh: Ok, cool. I’ll talk to him when I see him this weekend. I’m not gonna lie, I’m mad nervous..
Interviewer: I know, it isn’t always an easy conversation, but being honest about what you want, and how you want it, opens the door for real solutions. That’s called advocating for yourself. I think you’ve got this!
Josh: Ok, cool. Thanks!