A few days ago, while talking to a “love little sister” of mine about her transitioning out of running her own company to becoming a top executive for a major corporation, after congratulating her, one of the things that I asked was, “So, your company: is it going to be dead or dormant?” There definitely is a difference because, while death marks the end of something, permanently, when something is dormant, it’s simply asleep or inactive for a season. She said that her business was going to be the latter.
You can tell by the title of today’s piece that we’re going to apply the definition of dormant to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which some people still call sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you’re curious about what inspired me to pen this, I’ll be real with you — the only time that I’ve had an STI, it was chlamydia, and I discovered I had it after going through a simultaneous bout of mono and strep throat.
When my doctor told me that I had chlamydia, I was kind of baffled (due to what I was on sexually at the time); that is, until he said that it seemed that I had probably had it in my system for about two years or so — and when I thought back to that time of my life, some dots started to connect. Anyway, what triggered my body to “activate” the infection was my immunity being so low due to the other illnesses that I had. And boy, I must admit that I learned a serious lesson in all of that — the kind that I want to prevent as many as possible from personally experiencing if I can.
Let me start all of this off by saying, sis, unless you are in a mutually committed long-term relationship where you both get tested regularly, using a condom should never not be an option (check out “Thinking About Going Condom-Free? Read This Before You Do.”). And listen, if you’re kind of on the fence about living in that kind of headspace, here’s hoping that after you read this, you absolutely will not be.
When It Comes to STIs/STDs, What Does “Dormant” Mean?
GiphySo, let’s get right into it. When it comes to STIs/STDs, when they are lying dormant in your system, what that basically means is they’re in your body without posing any symptoms. How does this happen? Well, STIs/STDs have incubation periods; sometimes they can last for a few days, sometimes a few months, and yep, some can take a few years (I actually recently read that herpes can be dormant in one’s body for several decades; no joke).
This means that while you’re out here thinking that you are fine, just because you don’t have any symptoms, you could be carrying the infection around and actually expose your partner(s), who could end up with the illness and the symptoms.
If you just read all of what I just said and thought, “I mean, a few days or months makes sense, but years?” — first, remember my own story that I just shared with you, then check out which infections apply:
- Again, herpes can lie dormant for 30+ years
- Syphilis can lie dormant for 30+ years
- HIV can lie dormant for 10+ years
- HPV can lie dormant for…who knows how long?
And just what determines how long an infection can remain “asleep” or “inactive?” Well, like I said earlier, immunity is one factor. Another is your age because, as you get older, your system is not as resilient as it tends to be when you are younger (which could explain articles like “Single boomers are having 'S-E-X.' They're also seeing a surge in STIs”). Some other things to take into account are if you have a particular kind of strain of the infection (which you can’t Google to find out; only your physician can tell you).
And here’s the thing: if you do happen to have one of these infections and you are asymptomatic, that doesn’t mean that you can’t end up with infertility issues, that you won’t make your body more susceptible to certain types of cancer (including your throat and genitalia) and/or that you aren’t now more vulnerable to HIV. See how serious all of this is?
Have mercy. See why wearing condoms, each and every time, and getting tested (annually if you have one partner and they only have you as one too and every 3-6 months if you have multiples) is paramount? Especially since it continues to be reported that only one-third of men and one-fourth of women actually use rubbers and (goodness children) one-third of 15-YEAR-OLDS don’t use protection of any form (condoms or the pill).
Yep, everyone should know about this kind of information…as soon as possible too.
Can You Test Negative and Still Have an STI/STD?
GiphyOkay, but what if you read all of this (thus far) and thought to yourself, “I get tested, I’m good.” I mean, if you don’t use condoms — maybe, maybe not. The reason why I say that is because there is such a thing as getting a false negative on an STI/STD test result. This happens because, although most reputable tests are pretty accurate, they aren’t 100 percent and so yes, there is a chance that you could take a test and the result not be what it (initially) says that it is.
This typically happens if you think you’ve been exposed to an infection and you test too soon — because, again, each infection has its own incubation period. For instance, chlamydia typically needs an incubation time of 7-21 days, gonorrhea needs 1-14 days, trichomoniasis needs 5-28 days, genital herpes needs 2-12 days, and genital warts? Well, its incubation period could take months if not years. Hmph.
To me, the biggest takeaway from this point is if you take a test right after you think you’ve been exposed to an infection and the results are negative, you should take another within a couple of weeks, just to be sure. Then maybe again in a few months, to be extra sure.
Let’s continue.
What If You Test Positive and Your Partner Tests Negative (or Vice Versa)?
GiphyAight, because STIs/STDs are not as “simple” or “black and white” as you might’ve been led to believe before reading all of this, that’s why you can’t just assume that if you test positive and your partner tests negative, or if it’s the other way around, that the one who isn’t infected won’t end up becoming that way later on — because again, a dormant infection is real out in these streets.
It also should go on record that depending on how long you’ve been with someone, it’s not exactly fair to automatically assume that they’ve sexually been with someone other than you because again…dormancy can last for months or years. Take chlamydia, for example. Although it is indeed a highly contagious infection, back when I found out that I had it, my boyfriend at the time didn’t (including while having sex with me) — and we weren’t always using condoms. How could this be?
Well, one article that I read said that the ratio of it being transmitted from partner, by gender, is “male to female: 32.1% and 34.9%” and “female to male: 21.4% and 4.6%”; in other words, it’s not a given that “the carrier” will pass chlamydia along to their partner. Moving on, I also know a guy (who actually pisses me off when it comes to this) who has herpes and doesn’t always use a condom.
In his eyes, since he takes his meds daily and avoids sex during breakouts, there is no need — to use condoms or to tell his partners. HOW SELFISH IS THAT (and yes, I am yelling it!). Even at the slightest inkling of an outbreak, herpes is too contagious (including via oral sex) to be playing those types of games — especially since it continues to have no cure.
The lesson here? Whoever has an infection while their partner doesn’t, mutual testing still needs to transpire, and condoms definitely need to be used until the one with the infection has taken their meds, and then they have tested negative. And honestly, for the next few weeks, condoms still should be used until both individuals have tested again and have a negative result — both ways.
What Can You Do to Avoid the Fear of Having a Dormant STI/STD?
GiphyY’all, the fact that 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men can have chlamydia without any symptoms is enough of a reason to use rubbers and stay getting tested. Goodness. However, as I wind all of this up, as concerning as all of this intel is, it’s not like you just have to — pardon the pun — lie down and take it. There are always preventative measures that can be taken to significantly decrease your chances of ending up with an STI/STD — dormant or not.
Choose your partners carefully. Sex is an act that can get you sick and/or make a human. This means that it’s never as casual as our culture makes it out to be. Take your time. Have sex deal-breakers. If you sense red flags…heed them.
USE. CONDOMS. When used correctly, they are 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and 95 percent effective at preventing STIs/STDs. If you avoid them because you don’t like how they feel, I’ve got some hacks for that here: “10 Ways To Make Using A Condom So Much More Pleasurable.” If you do avoid condoms, remember that since they can help to keep you healthy, there really should be no excuse to go without them. Period.
Don’t just get tested; require that your partner be tested too. Real life ain’t no rom-com or soap opera, so let’s not do the “But he’s so fine” or “I’m not comfortable bringing it up” thing when it comes to making sure that your partner (especially if he’s new) has been recently tested — like within the past six months and has his results to prove it.
Listen, if he’s not comfortable talking about this with you, you shouldn’t be comfortable letting any body part of his inside of yours. Straight up.
Remember that some vaccinations are available. Although there aren’t currently vaccines for all STI/STDs, there ones that you can take for HPV, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B. Just something to keep in mind.
There is nothing wrong with abstinence. Whenever people ask me how I could go so long abstaining — the freedom of not thinking about pregnancies or illnesses is a perk enough, chile. That said, if you want a season to go without worrying about any of this, abstinence will certainly do it for you.
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Dormant STIs/STDs. Should they terrify you? No. Should you always be concerned and super proactive in how you move, though? 1,000 percent. After all, a lot goes on during sex. Make sure that you are responsible 2.0, so that it doesn’t end up blindsiding you with something that is not not present — just…asymptomatic.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Despite launching media careers from different pathways, the two New York-based women have forged a friendship where they can discuss their ambitions and challenges.
Both women are part of xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, recognized in the Viral Voices category for the impact they’ve made through storytelling, creativity, and authenticity. Together, they represent what it means to build an "It Girl" brand with integrity and depth. In the spirit of SheaMoisture’s "Yes, And" ethos, Les and Kayla embody the freedom to be multi-layered as women evolving boldly into every version of themselves.
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity
On Forging Their Own Paths
Les Alfred: Being a Jane of all trades is incredibly challenging. And one of the challenges I've faced is that the scope of what podcasters now need to do has increased so much. When I first interviewed you in 2019, I was still very new at it, but I remember being on a Skype call with you from my bedroom in Seattle. That was how I ran the show. And that was good enough. That is absolutely not good enough these days. The scope and the quality keeps increasing, but the resources that you have don't necessarily increase in order to remain competitive.
I get asked so many questions from people who want to get into podcasts and they want to get started. Most of the time, I'm just like, 'I don't have tips for you.' Because, one, I don't know what it's like to start in this current environment. Two, I know what it takes to contend and be consistent in this environment. The barrier of entry is a lot higher in terms of having something of quality than it was before.
On Balancing Ambition and Rest
Kayla Greaves: I've had to make a very clear effort to slow down and just not take on as much. Yes, you're running a business, but you're also living your life. I had one of those days yesterday. I just laid down and listened to white noise for hours because I just needed my brain to just be clear. I called a friend. I cried.
I'm starting over again today. The sun is out. It's a new day. And that's just sometimes what you have to do. You can't show up for your audience or for other people, if you can't show for yourself. I think that creativity comes from a place of living your life and having genuine experiences, and then sharing those experiences through your art.
"I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally."
Courtesy
On Evolving Through Growth and Rebranding
Les: I didn't create Balanced Black Girl until 2018, but I started blogging and creating content and doing things under the Balanced brand in 2014. I was 24 years old at the time. Now, I'm 36. The things that were important to me, the perspective that I had and the stories I wanted to tell were entirely different. I think I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally. The show isn't really about wellness anymore. And that shift started happening a couple of years ago.
When we started expanding into more lifestyle topics, more self-help topics [and] talking about entrepreneurship, the audience responded really well. That was when the show really started to grow and take off. And that was what got so much more engagement than the episodes back in 2020 when I was doing hour-long deep dives on gut health.
Rebranding the show was something I've been thinking about for a long time. When I was finally like, 'Oh, I need to do this,' honestly, was the 2024 presidential election. I was like, these people are about to be in here acting crazy. I do not feel safe with my business name being what it is. I don't want to be targeted for any BS. We saw what they did to the Fearless Fund.
"You have to balance your integrity with your income."
Courtesy
On Integrity Over Income
Kayla: I have many other interests aside from beauty. I'm growing and I'm changing as a person. I'm not the same person I was when I started at InStyle in 2019 before the pandemic rocked everybody's world. I don't think reviewing every single lipstick that comes out is exciting or interesting, because everybody does it now, and everybody feels like they're qualified to speak on things that they're not qualified to speak on. I'm currently in that pain point of growth.
I don't think I have always been in environments where I've been encouraged to branch out on my own ideas. I finished Ina Garten’s memoir maybe a month ago. She kept repeating this quote in her book. She said, ‘What goes in early, goes in deep.’ Now that I'm on my own and I don't have the resources of a traditional media company, which is what I have become accustomed to, sometimes it's difficult for me to be like, 'Okay, just go ahead with the thing.'
I think, Les, just the other day, you reposted somebody saying that they let go of a five-figure deal and then got double the next day because it just didn't feel aligned for them. Those are the things that happen. I have to find a balance of, 'Okay, how do I keep myself afloat?' And that may mean I may not be balling out of control just yet, but I'm okay for now. I can buy myself nice things every once in a while, but you have to balance your integrity with your income.
Les: There are just certain lines that I'm not willing to cross. Especially when I created more wellness content, one of those lines was I will not promote any sort of weight loss product. All of these GLP-1s all want to advertise on my podcast. I actually have nothing against those types of products, but I don't ever want someone to look at what I'm putting into the world and think that I'm saying that they need to feel a certain way about their bodies.
Even if the money is great, that's not for me to say, and that's not the type of message that I want to put out here. Or, I had another kind of brand deal come through that would have required me to divulge things about my personal life that I just don't really want my audience knowing about me, and bringing them along on journeys that I just find personal and I want to keep offline. I don’t want to be known for dragging my mess all over the internet for a buck.
I don't want to be known for being an influencer. I would love to be 1,000% in on my podcast, scale it, have it grow to be a media empire where I'm producing and putting out other bodies of work. For now, until that other side of the business really picks up and gets to the point where I want it to be, I kind of need to play the influencer game a little bit to live in this expensive city. But I'm gonna do it on my terms. It's a constant compromise that I'm coming to with myself.
"You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do."
Courtesy
On Mutual Admiration and Friendship
Les: Something that I really admire about you in having known you for the past couple of years is you don't wait for a roadmap. You jump in, you roll up your sleeves, and you do it. You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do.
Kayla: Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for saying that, because that means so much to me, and it's very affirming. That's exactly how I feel about you. I remember, even at your first live show, you're like, ‘Oh my god, I'm so stressed. I don't know what I'm doing.’ And, the shit sold out. And, you know, and now, like, you see the growth of the podcast. And you have nearly 61,000 subscribers on YouTube. I just checked recently.
I talk a lot about people that really just need to not say anything on the internet, because it's so frustrating as somebody who grew up as a traditional journalist. You want people to fact check and ask thoughtful questions and have good conversations. I've never said that about you. I've always loved your podcast. And I've sent a lot of your episodes to friends when they're going through specific things that you're talking about.
This season has been a little bit slower to me, so you've been a constant source of inspiration, and it's just been such a pleasure to see your podcast grow despite the challenges you've had. I know it's not easy, but you continue to grow and continue to push through, and I really admire that as somebody who sat and cried yesterday and listened to white noise.
And this is why I tell you all the time, you really do inspire me. I love you a lot.
Les: Oh my gosh, I love you a lot. I'm so glad that the podcast brought us together.
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
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