Summarize:

Whether you are in middle school, high school, college, or the workplace, gossip will always be an issue as long as there are other people around to talk. On the one hand, you have to accept that gossip happens and there's not always something you can do about it. On the other hand, if negative gossip is spreading about you because of your behavior, you can take steps to improve your damaged reputation. If someone is spreading rumors that you are sexually promiscuous and it is not true, that is a form of sexual harassment. There are a few different ways you might choose to handle it, depending on who is spreading the rumors and what you feel comfortable with.  Talk to someone in authority to help you deal with the harassment. This might be a parent, teacher, supervisor, boss, or school counselor. You can try confronting the person responsible for the gossip if you know who started the rumor. If you feel like you need to set the record straight, this can be a good option. However, if the person who started the rumor is a bully who does not care about you, you should know that confronting that person might make you even more of a target. If you're happy with your lifestyle, what other people say about you shouldn't have an effect on you. However, if you're doing things that are hurting you or others and it has damaged your reputation, you can take steps to take responsibility for your lifestyle and begin to repair your reputation.  Make sure your emotional needs are being met. Establish and maintain a network of supportive friends who care about you, value you, and support your choices. Make sure you're not hurting anyone else. If you are having many sexual partners, be sure you're not hooking up with people who are in relationships, and be sure that your partners know what your intentions are. Be sure you use protection if you're having sex. If rumors have spread that you are sexually promiscuous, you may find that whether the rumors are true or not, people may begin to treat you differently. In particular, you may find that guys might treat you differently if they think that you are sexually available.  If you find yourself being sexually harassed or propositioned by guys, know that this is not your fault. No one is ever justified in treating another person as a sexual object. Tell the person to stop, and then tell someone you trust (like a parent, teacher, or supervisor). They will help you deal with the situation. If you ever feel unsafe for any reason, call the police or go to the nearest authority figure. If people who were formerly your friends begin avoiding you, you may consider talking to them to find out why. Keep in mind that someone who would stop being your friend because of a rumor may not have been a true friend to begin with. It's true that your sex life is your business, but there's not much you can do to keep people from talking about it.  The most you can do is humanize yourself as much as possible so that people won't want to waste their time talking about you.  Many times girls talk about other girls' sexuality because they are jealous or because they worry that sexually experienced girls will steal their boyfriend or husband. By showing everyone that you are a kind and sincere person, you can help to calm their fears. Going out of your way to be kind to others — including people who have been unkind to you — shows that you are the bigger person.  It takes a long time, but consistency, kindness, and sincerity can turn a bad reputation into a good one. The thing about reputations is it takes a long time to build a good one but only one mistake to get a bad one. It's frustrating and unfair, but it's also just a part of life you have to accept. Be determined to build a good reputation, even if it takes years.  Find a hobby, club, or pastime to occupy yourself and take your mind off of your social issues. You can choose a volunteer position or give back to your community to help further your reputation as a caring and loving person. In the meantime, try to learn to stop caring about what other people think of you .
Recognize that people gossip. Deal with untrue rumors in whatever way you are comfortable. Take responsibility for your lifestyle. Deal with people who treat you differently. Establish a reputation as kind, caring, fun, and dependable. Be patient.