It was sophomore year of high school, and I decided to put a little more effort into my outfit for school than usual. I straightened my hair, perfected my eyeliner, and threw on a skirt and thigh highs. Whenever I wore this outfit to school I always got compliments, and it always made me feel very confident when I walked in wearing this which was kind of a rare feeling for me. I walked in believing this was going to be an incredible day and I left believing the opposite. I’ll never forget my friend telling later that day about a boy talking about me in class, saying about how I don’t have the body to wear that and how I’m a ‘skank’ and it mortified me.

At first I was upset about being called this, but then that grief turned into rage and it made me realize that something had to be done about the derogatory terms used against women. I believe the reason that this boy saying such things about me made me so furious was the fact that I’ve never even spoken to him before so how would he even be close to knowing what I’ve done or haven’t done. When these words are usually used they almost always are used in the wrong context. For example, the true definition of a skank is "one who is considered to be sexually promiscuous". If a girl wears an outfit that is a bit too revealing for your liking, that doesn't make her a skank. What you wear only defines a little part of you and that part doesn't include your sexual activity.

Regardless, a women's sexual activity is no one’s business other than hers and her partner’s. This seems to be one of the biggest problems I see in school and outside of it. Everyone is so constantly concerned with other people’s relationships and how many people they’ve been with. There continues to be a clear sexual double standard for men and women. While women are being shamed, men are being praised for the same act committed which isn’t fair at all. It doesn't matter if she's a virgin or has had sex with multiple people; you should still treat her with the same respect.

Words like 'skank' are all commonly used by men and even women. It's kind of sickening to think that our own gender would use such hateful words against each other.  S***-shaming other woman is just an easy way for women to feel more dominant. If a girl is feeling embarrassed about her own sexual needs, all you have to do is call another girl a “s***” and rapidly the shame is put on yet another girl. This process just keeps going on and on, and makes it more acceptable for more people to call other girls such derogatory terms. It may seem like a little statement being made with no impact but in reality, it’s just going to just create more and more degrading than ever.

I believe that the use of these terms need to come to an end. By putting less value on women, it causes us to be treated as more of an object then a person. Not to mention that it leads men to think the argument of 'she deserved it because of what she was wearing' is a valid argument. Whether you are a male or a female, by simply stopping yourself and correcting others you could help put an end to the incorrect use of these words, or even just the use of them in general.