Dirty

In sexual health slang, "dirty" is used to label someone who has an STI or HIV, positioned as the counterpart to "clean." Sexual health educators and advocates strongly discourage both words because they attach moral judgment to a common medical condition. STIs are among the most widespread infections in the world, and framing them as filthy shames people and discourages testing and honest conversation. The framing is also outdated on the facts: people living with HIV who take treatment and reach an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus sexually. Neutral, specific language works better, for example naming a recent negative test result or a current status rather than calling a person clean or dirty.