“Did you hear who [insert girl’s name here] hooked up with last night? Literally such a slut, I can’t even.”

Today I am standing up, getting on a soap box, bringing out the megaphone and proclaiming that I have had enough. I know I am not the first—nor will I be the last—but I am one of the many women stating for all the world to hear: stop slut shaming.

They say what has made the human race more evolved than any other animal species is our ability to tell and pass down stories. Though I am grateful that we have this ability, sometimes our words cause more harm than we realize. As a female with firsthand experience of both being called a slut and, at one point in my life, calling someone else one, these words we carry have major consequences.

The quick Google search definition of "slut" is “a woman who has many casual sexual partners.” Synonyms: prostitute, whore. Notice the definition states that a slut is a woman because, primarily in our society, women are scrutinized for their actions much more than men. The tendency recently is to use words as if they were punches in a fight. Words become a protective blanket to make ourselves feel better. The more you say about others, the less you believe will be said about you.

The issue with this logic is that by calling others words such as "slut" and "whore," we’re just masking our own insecurities. We’ve stopped caring about others' feelings because we are too preoccupied worrying about our own. We disregard how much weight these words carry, that is, until we’re on the receiving end.

The first time someone called me a slut, I was a 15-year-old sophomore in high school. It felt as if someone had slapped me across the face, but I had no idea who it was. Words travel like wildfire, and sometimes it’s impossible to pinpoint where the flames first ignited. The issue with this analogy, though, is eventually you can put out flames, but you can’t put out words. I’ll always remember the hurt and embarrassment I felt from faceless people around me, talking about me as if they knew me personally. I know I am not the first person to feel this, nor will I be the last.

So, I urge you, stop slut shaming. Stop using derogatory words to describe someone’s actions. What a woman does with her body is entirely up to her. Sure, you may not have slapped a person or punched them in the gut, but if you participate in spreading these foul words, you might as well have. Think before you speak.