Exclusive | The new non-negotiable thing men are asking for before getting serious with a woman
Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I had to describe my dating life in 2024, I could sum it up in one word: situationships.Actually, to be fair, I could roll that back further into 2023 … ahhh, OK, and 2022.How I long for the days when you went on a couple of dates with a guy, then he sat you down, looked deep into your eyes (or perhaps bashfully downwards) and officially asked you if you would like to be his girlfriend.Oh, the romantic awkwardness of it all.
I miss those days.So, imagine my shock when I was sitting at lunch the other day, and my friend dropped a bombshell that stopped me mid-martini-sip.She revealed that she had been dating a guy for a couple of weeks now, and he popped the question.
No, not that question — rather, a question that, in the modern-day era, is the equivalent of asking someone to be your girlfriend.He asked her to get an STD test so they could start having sex without condoms.My first thought: Eek! My second: Is this what dating has come to? It felt transactional, clinical and, let’s face it, a little unsexy.But after a second glass (okay, third), I started to see the method behind the madness.
This wasn’t just about health.It was a modern-day love letter.
Essentially, he was saying, “I’m ready to stop sleeping with other people, and I want you to, too.” (Well, actually, that’s exactly what he said.) It’s the new, “quirky” code for commitment.In a world where we often have to arm wrestle a guy to put on a condom, or deal with the ridiculous “but I’m allergic to them” lame excuse, this man asking for his love interest to get a quick swab is actually quite romantic … right?I mean, a dating app swipe can lead to a sleepover faster than you can say “herpes,” so we should all probably be a little more on our game when it comes to test.This man is at the forefront, and it is nothing short of revolutionary, people.
Revolutionary!OK, OK — I’m getting carried away.But here’s the kicker...