Consent as a Conversation, Not a Contract Consent is often discussed as a simple yes or no, but in real life, it functions more like an interaction—an ongoing exchange between two people who want to understand each other. Many women grow up hearing about consent only in the context of danger or prevention, yet healthy consent is far broader than that. It includes communication, boundaries, curiosity, emotional comfort, and mutual enthusiasm.

When we talk about building healthy relationships, conversations often revolve around attraction, compatibility, or emotional connection. But there’s another conversation that belongs right at the start: health. Specifically, sexual health. Before a relationship becomes sexual, one of the most important steps anyone can take is to request and share recent STI (sexually transmitted infection) test results.