Share Your Story
Community Story Submissions
Dating after an STI diagnosis can feel lonely. Sharing what you've experienced may help someone else feel less alone, gain perspective, or find a way forward. Your story doesn't have to have a happy ending.
- Stay Anonymous — Your real name does not need to appear in your published story.
- Help Others — Your experience may give someone else hope, perspective, or a sense that they are not alone.
- Get Rewarded — Selected stories that are published receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
What We're Looking For
We welcome real experiences — good, bad, complicated, and everything in between. We're not only looking for success stories. A story that ends without a neat resolution can be just as meaningful as one that does.
Your story might be about:
- Dating after diagnosis
- Your first date with an STI
- Telling someone for the first time
- Disclosure
- Being rejected
- Finding a supportive partner
- A relationship that didn't work out
- Dating app experiences
- Long-distance dating
- LGBTQ+ dating
- Building confidence
- Moving from online to offline
- Something you wish you'd known earlier
You don't need to fit your experience into one of these categories. We want to hear what actually happened to you.
How It Works
- Submit. Email us your story using the address below. You can use a nickname or submit without a name.
- Review. Our editorial team reviews every submission for originality, relevance, privacy concerns, harassment, hate speech, and promotional content.
- Edit. We may lightly edit your story for grammar, clarity, readability, or length. We will preserve the meaning and substance of your experience.
- Publish. Selected stories may be published under an anonymous byline such as "Anonymous Contributor" or "Anonymous — Atlanta."
- Reward. Selected contributors whose original stories are published receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
Editorial Independence
We pay for selected original stories, not positive opinions. Selection is based on whether a story is genuine, original, relevant, and suitable for publication — never on whether it is flattering to DatingBeyondStatus, a dating platform, or a product or service.
We also do not require stories to have a positive outcome. Honest experiences matter more than favorable ones.
Submissions are limited to a small number of selected stories each month.
Privacy & Anonymity
- You may submit using a nickname or simply "Anonymous."
- Your real name does not need to appear in your published story.
- Your email address will not be published with your story.
- Do not include another person's full name, phone number, email address, workplace, social media handle, or other identifying information without their permission.
- Avoid including unnecessary details that could identify you or someone else.
- If your story is selected, we may contact you using the private contact information you provide to arrange your gift card.
Before You Submit
Please submit only your own original experience. Do not copy material published elsewhere, submit someone else's story as your own, or include confidential information belonging to another person.
By submitting a story, you confirm that the story is your own and that you have the right to share it with us.
Submit Your Story
Email your story to editor@datingbeyondstatus.com with as much or as little of the following as you're comfortable sharing:
- Nickname, pen name, or "Anonymous"
- City (optional)
- STI category (optional)
- Age range (optional)
- Gender (optional)
- Story type
- Your story
- Whether you're comfortable with light editing for clarity and readability
- A private way for us to contact you if your story is selected
General Contact
Have a question, suggestion, correction, or feedback? Our team welcomes messages from readers, partners, and community members.
Email:
Editorial Contact
For content questions, corrections, editorial feedback, or story submissions:
Support
For website-related questions:
support@datingbeyondstatus.com
Response Time
We aim to respond to inquiries within several business days.
Thank you for being part of the DatingBeyondStatus community.