Safe Sex

Red Rex,

About the best place to answer your array of questions would be at a site run for students at Columbia University in New York. It's www.goaskalice.columbia.edu The site is run and supervised by the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. They're non-judgemental and cover just about every sexual question known to humanity - it seems. Click on "Sexual Health" and you'll get a real sojourn through the field of human sexuality.

The respondents are real live MD's and the site is definitely worth your time. As far as getting AIDS from a BBBJ, they state that the odds are almost "non-existent." Hepres and other STD's are a definite threat, however.

Possibly stupid question here, but I really would appreciate some info. *Warning*: fairly graphic description follows.

During October and November 2003, I suffered (*boy* did I suffer) from epididymitis. The infection eventually cleared up after a 3-week course of antibiotics, the pain and swelling took a few weeks longer. During this time, I wore a jock pretty much 24/7. As my scrotum was very badly swollen, the skin rubbed on the jock, causing an edemic cyst to form. The cyst ruptured, but left a puckered scar as it healed. No, I won't attach a pic. :P

My question is this: Is a worker likely to look at this scar during the DC and freak out, thinking I'm still infected or otherwise being less than honest?

Scary Bald Guy,

Depends on the size / nature / specific location of the scar. If it is like the top of a burst spot (zit), then I guess your provider may not even see it. If its more “linear” like a cut, then it will be more visible assuming your sac is not too hairy. Also if the scar is front and forward there is greater chance it can be seen. A test might be to get an erection and look at yourself in a mirror...

A little lie here may do the trick for you: “I’ve had a vasectomy, this is the scar…”. No harm done. After all how many lies will the provider have told you? (Oh.. baby your so big, I love you / it… you really made me cum…) the list is endless!

Regards, Havanaman

Cronin,

It's been about three weeks since you posted the photo of the gal with the sores. I think we'd all appreciate an update on the girl's condition. Did the acyclovir work? Did she get checked out by a doctor and if so what was the diagnosis? How is she now?

Thanks in advance.

Civ2K

Scary Bald Guy,

Although I believe sexual health education for sex workers is absolutely, positively imperative...I've always found that the more educated you are about diseases, the more panicked you're likely to get when you find a suspicious lump or bump on a client!

If your scar is rounded and shiny and kind of concave in the middle, an observant sex worker MAY confuse it with molluscum. If you're really, really worried, then it may be an idea to get a short note from a doctor to say what it is (tell the doc your girlfriend was worried and wanted proof, or something!) and take it with you to future bookings.

But really I would just suggest that right before the DC, you tell the girl about the scar straight out. Show her where it is and tell her how you got it. Do it in a friendly manner and don't be worried about being a little embarrassed...it will only lend credibility to your story.

Honesty is always the best policy! :)

Hey guys,

Also carry those convienent little hand sanitizing gels with you. Remember these females are touching other guys genitals which could possible spread herpes or HPV (human papillomavirus - Genital warts). Have them clean their hands before touching your stuff.

I have not had a problem with them using it. They seem to like using the gel.

Those antibacterial handwipes are a good thing too!

HIV might be a little harder to get with bare back blow jobs, but other STDs are catchable that way.

Gonorrhea is catchable orally bare back since it can live in the both the linings of the back of the throat and in the vagina. So bareback oral sex isn't really all that safe when you take that into account.

More related info at:

http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/?article=stds&refid=015

http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/sfcityclinic/stdbasics/gonorrhea.asp

I've been studying genital herpes through resources such as the internet over the past few days. I had symptoms a few days ago that I thought might be herpes. I went to my doctor and after examining me he said it was not likely herpes, but he prescribed Famvir just in case. He would not draw blood to be sure. He said it was most likely a bacterial infection. After all the studying I've done on herpes and other STD's, I believe I may have syphilis instead. I am going out to a clinic this week to get checked out. In researching herpes, I have serious questions as to the validity of the so-called expert analysis that has been done. Supposedly these are the generally accepted statistics here in the U.S.: Between 45 and 50 million people currently have genital herpes. Between 500,000 and 1 million new cases are assumed each year. Many cases are asymptomatic, and go undiagnosed. Here is the problem:It is alleged that there is a 1 in 20 chance of spreading HSV to others even without a current outbreak. Does this mean a 1 in 20 chance of a particular person spreading it, or a 1 in 20 chance that each time an infected person has sex with an uninfected person he or she would get it? Let's split the statistics, and say perhaps 47.5 million people have HSV, and there are 750,000 new cases each year. That would mean 1 in 63 people afflicted with HSV would spread it to someone else. Since most of the new cases are in their teens to mid 20's, it would be assumed that these are part of a demographic that would have the most sex partners per year. If the average person with HSV had sex about 80 times per year (I had to go low with that figure, in order to take into consideration those that may not have very active sex lives), that would mean that those with HSV would account for having sex 3.8 billion times. Those partners having sex who both have HSV, would account for 2 times having sex, each time they had sex with each other. Those 750,000 new cases would have combined (at 80x having sex per year) for 60 million sex acts with an infected person. Of course those new cases are more likely to have sex a lot more than 80 times per year, considering the age group that accounts for the majority of new cases. I have a serious problem believeing the accepted statistics of HSV in terms of the accepted number of cases and the claims that its highly contagious. It would seem that the chance of contracting it from someone without an outbreak would be anywhere between 5000 to 1, and 10,000 to 1. Not the 5% that is accepted as fact. Other countries have widely disputed the rates of infection that the U.S. has long accepted.

Baltimonger,

Interesting deductions. I would agree with much of your postulation.

However, I must add that with a USA population of 281421906 (year 2000 census: according to the USA Census Bureau) your statistic of 45 – 50 million people currently having genital herpes would represent between 15.9 – 17.7% of that population: too many IMHO. By the way people between say 18 – 24 years of age (9.6% of people) i.e. 27,016,503

I accept the ideas behind your calculations. I further agree with the notion that the USA 1:20 is wrong, and that 5000:1, and 10,000:1 are more realistic numbers.

Regards, Havanaman

Here are 2 resources for herpes information.

Center for Disease Control:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFactHerpes.htm

American Social Health Association:
http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/herpes.html

Today, March 9, there is a big article on the spread of AIDS in the Caribbean. Even though the article is aimed more at the rising problem in Dominican Republic, may this be another reminder to don't be silly, wrap your willy!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20040308-092628-5479r.htm

Hysteromania,

Without any shadow of a doubt you are right: play covered or worse things than it dropping off might happen.

I saw some recent posts and pics from guys extolling the virtues of bare-back intercourse / anal. If they have no self respect, then perhaps they might consider having a little more respect for the chicas and mongers that follow.

Its just not worth it.

Regarding the article: interesting.

I’m not sure I agree with Dr. Jean Pape’s figures: quote: “According to Dr. Jean Pape, a leading anti-AIDS crusader, his treatment centers succeeded in reducing infection rates from 6.2 percent in 1993 to 2.9 percent in the past year”. In my experience epidemiological statistics tend to be ill explained. This would seem to be the case with the data at hand in this article. We know that once you have HIV, its yours for life. “infection rate” is not defined: infection by what? HIV? If so, then his data points to patient numbers decreasing as they die, not as they get “better”. If by “infection rates” he means other (non HIV) infections (which most AIDS patients die from) then OK. His centres would seem to be offering a benefit to the patients, not to the HIV rate.

In any case I for one will not be going to Hispaniola the epicenter of the epidemic...

Regards, Havanaman

HavannaMan, The infection rates mentioned are the percentages of sexually active people who contract HIV infection in a given year. It has nothing to do with numbers decreasing as people die or the opportunistic infections people with AIDS get.

Chances are the treatment that has resulted in the lower numbers is better information., i.e., people using condoms, practicing safe sex, monogamy, etc.

For example in the gay bathhouses in San Francisco the infection rate used to be a whopping 35% or something like that. Although no cure was found, as soon as the word got out that there was a fatal STD killing people, the infection rate went way down. Why? Education and condom use.

Civ2K

Hi,

I've finally decided to try MPs this time. Shall be in Bangkok this weekend. Do I have a chance to get any disease becuase of this?

Can I get AIDS/STD if do the tub thing? I'll avoid penetrative sex anyway.

Please respond. No cynicism.

Thanks

Probability of Getting Herpes
(this was posed in the Tijuana, Mexico forum but I'm reposting here for the benefit of others).

A study done on 144 heterosexual couples where one had herpes and the other didn't (and took pains to avoid skin-to-skin contact with lesions) showed that 14 had got it after 1 year: a 10% annualized rate. If we consider that a couple fucts about once a week, then each individual sex session has a risk of (10%)/52 in a year, which is pretty low. However, if we use the 10%/year figure, then after 10 years 65% of couples will be infected with herpes. After 22 years, it's 90% probability of getting herpes. Therefore, an old-timer monger should expect to have a 90% probability of getting herpes if he's been at it once a week for 22 years (while catiously avoiding lesions) with someone he knows to have herpes. Another important factor is gender. Women are 3 times more likely to get it than men. If we knew what % of girls have herpes, then we can get the probabilities down to a more definite number. Note that the above stats is based on having sex with someone you know to have herpes.

Some factors that work in our favor is the relatively high turnover of bar girls.
Maybe the girls burn out from the work.
Anyhow, the fresh girls should be cleaner, which decreases the risk to much less than 10% a year. If 1/4 girls have herpes, then the annual risk is 10%/4= 2.5% (assuming safe sex and avoidance of lesions).

On the other hand, one might just as easily get herpes doing a girl you pick up in the US at the local mall/bar/school since it's so prevalent.