I confess to promiscuous behavior. I write this as I sit at my doctor’s office, about to request yet another STI screening. 

Promiscuous behavior is associated with ADHD, and I do have an ADHD diagnosis. This is something I’ve struggled with, like marijuana addiction (substance use disorders are also associated with both ADHD as well as psychotic disorders). Promiscuous behavior is in that same grey area of “could be from character defects, could be from mental illness” – it’s difficult, if not impossible, to separate. 

Promiscuity falls under the umbrella of impulsivity. But there is more there – there are social and cultural values involved. Just like mental illness must be understood within the socio-cultural context, so too must promiscuity. The rate of new sexual partners that I aquire may seem promiscuous to some, and not so much to others. 

What matters is how I feel about my own behavior.