Safe Sex and Sex Related Discussions in Thailand

[Explorer8939]

One of my regulars was hospitalized for Hepatitis-A recently; although I haven't seen her for a while, my feeling is if one lady has Hep-A, its probably going around. So I got the vaccine. No after-effects, no pain.

[Asian Rain]

HPV's are one of the STD classes that scare me the most. Warts are not something I want if I can be vaccinated against getting them. However, I'm 61 and currently in the USA, the HPV vaccination is available only for men up to age 45. So my doctor won't allow me to get the vaccine anyway.

What do fellow mongers do to assure you don't get unexpected souvenirs when it comes to HPV's? Do you get the vaccine there? I've read about medications many of you take daily that keep away other STD's but do they also block HPV's?

Indeed. Getting genital warts might be considered more debilitating to mongering than HIV. There is no pill for HPV, only vax. You can get the Gardasil9 vaccine easily in BKK. A couple locations that offer the vax quick and no-questions-asked are MedConsult (5500 bhat per dose) and WellMed (6500 bhat per dose) clinics. I have also seen packages offered at many local hospitals, but didn't see a cost advantage. Before you run off and take the shots, consider the following:

1. Gardasil9, which covers the most genotypes, only covers 9 genotypes (hence the 9 in the name). However, there are 29 genotypes of HPV. So getting the vax will protect against only 7 of 14 high risk genotypes and only 2 of 15 low risk types.

2. Before you get the vax, you should get tested for the 29 genotypes and ensure that you are clear for the genotypes that Gardasil protects against. Gardasil9 protects against genotypes 16,18, 31,33, 45,52, 58,6, 11. The first 7 are the high risk genotypes. For the other 20 genotypes, there is no vaccine or prevention other than "safe sex".

3. It is correct that the HPV vax is contraindicated for men above 45. This is because of the high liklihood that an older person has been exposed already. However, if you have a high risk profile (eg frequent barebacking of prostitutes), then a doctor should recommend due to risk profile. You can try to convince your US doctor, but you need to be blunt about the basis of your risk.

4. Getting the vax is not a one-and-done prototol. You need to get 3 shot-in-the-arm doses. After you get the first shot, you get the second shot after one month and the third shot after 6 months.

5. Last, before doing anything, do your research. Google has much more detail to prepare you before testing and consultation.

Not a simple silver bullet for sure, but well worth it for those who are frequent fliers on Bareback Airlines. Enjoy, AR.

[PDXphatbeat]

I'm stateside and planning my first trip later this year to Thailand and / or Vietnam (want to see and experience both!

HPV's are one of the STD classes that scare me the most. Warts are not something I want if I can be vaccinated against getting them.

However, I'm 61 and currently in the USA, the HPV vaccination is available only for men up to age 45. So my doctor won't allow me to get the vaccine anyway.

What do fellow mongers do to assure you don't get unexpected souvenirs when it comes to HPV's? Do you get the vaccine there? I've read about medications many of you take daily that keep away other STD's but do they also block HPV's?

Thank you.

[MomoFarang]

If post prep (200 MG) take ASAP after sex.

That's a rather funny involuntary oxymoron.

PREP stands for Pre Exposure prophylaxis. "Post prep" would be PEP Post Exposure Prophylaxis.

[Newton York]

Look dudes, let's be honest here. Most of this here on this forum are ancient as fuck. I'm super old, it's amazing I haven't had a heart attack yet. At our age, are we really that concerned with all this? How many years do any of us have left? We fucked up the world, and young people are going to have to deal with the mess we're leaving behind. I fucking love that! If my life is miserable, everyone else's should be too.

[MomoFarang]

Be careful, DoxyPREP is effective against bacterial infection, but no more than 40-50% against gonorrhea.

There have been numerous studies, Gonorrhoea being controversial across the field.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...01731025004582

[XXL]

Should we take first dose before starting the adventure. Please enlighten. Thanks.

If post prep (200 MG) take ASAP after sex.

If pre prep (100 MG / day) take every day at the same hour.

[HorseTrader]

Be careful, DoxyPREP is effective against bacterial infection, but no more than 40-50% against gonorrhea.

Thanks for that. Have the results of the double blind study been published? I'd like to read it. Gonorrhea has become tough to cure in recent years, in 2000 it was reliably cured by a week of doxy. Now it's a course of oral plus an injection.

[MomoFarang]

The study is to show if 100 mg/day of doxy will prevent transmission of bacterial STDs. Preliminary results were positive, though final results had not been published last I knew. I'll keep using 100 mg/day while in Thailand.

Be careful, DoxyPREP is effective against bacterial infection, but no more than 40-50% against gonorrhea.

[HorseTrader]

Should we take first dose before starting the adventure. Please enlighten. Thanks.

All I know is there is an ongoing Doxy 100 MG / day test. I don't know additional details.

[Ranvir 226]

One of my doctors has me on 50 mg of daily doxycycline for skin problems, I've been doing this for years. When I'm in Thailand, I up that to 100 mg/day in hopes that it will fend off bacterial STDs; so far I've had no nasty side effects and I've avoided STDs. Based on zero solid knowledge, 200 mg/day seems like a whole lot for an extended period of time.

Doxy PreP seems good to me. About a year ago I read that there is an ongoing study of sexually active gay men who don't use condoms. Some are given 100 mg/day of doxy and some are given placebo. The study is to show if 100 mg/day of doxy will prevent transmission of bacterial STDs. Preliminary results were positive, though final results had not been published last I knew. I'll keep using 100 mg/day while in Thailand.

Should we take first dose before starting the adventure. Please enlighten. Thanks.

[HorseTrader]

I did PeP on a 3-week sex trip (200 MG after sex, which for me then meant every day since I had sex every day).

My stomach started hating the doxycycline after about 15 days. No matter how I took it, after a meal, with plenty of water. I usually have no problem with any medication. I think next time I'll go for the PreP (100 MG every day). Or I'll use condoms on and off, say one day out of three so as to give my stomach some recovery time.

One of my doctors has me on 50 mg of daily doxycycline for skin problems, I've been doing this for years. When I'm in Thailand, I up that to 100 mg/day in hopes that it will fend off bacterial STDs; so far I've had no nasty side effects and I've avoided STDs. Based on zero solid knowledge, 200 mg/day seems like a whole lot for an extended period of time.

Doxy PreP seems good to me. About a year ago I read that there is an ongoing study of sexually active gay men who don't use condoms. Some are given 100 mg/day of doxy and some are given placebo. The study is to show if 100 mg/day of doxy will prevent transmission of bacterial STDs. Preliminary results were positive, though final results had not been published last I knew. I'll keep using 100 mg/day while in Thailand.

[XXL]

I did PeP on a 3-week sex trip (200 MG after sex, which for me then meant every day since I had sex every day).

My stomach started hating the doxycycline after about 15 days. No matter how I took it, after a meal, with plenty of water. I usually have no problem with any medication. I think next time I'll go for the PreP (100 MG every day). Or I'll use condoms on and off, say one day out of three so as to give my stomach some recovery time.

I also tried out Truvada, preloading 4 days in advance. After about 3-4 days I felt like I was down with the flu. I can live with the AIDS risk though. I'm more worried by the doxycycline intolerance.

[Miss MaryHinge]

One of the good experiences I had last month in Thailand was STD testing at the Red Cross in Bangkok. I was fortunate that a local punter friend went with me, so it was an easy first time experience for me. Though it isn't as easy as paying big money at a private clinic like Pulse, it is a whole lot cheaper. This is my guide to using that Red Cross.

1. Finding it. Use Google Maps and find it. It's labeled as the "Red Cross Aids Research Centre" on Ratchadamri Road.

2. Hours of Operation. They are normal weekday business hours, I don't remember details so you should look at their website to verify that you are going at a time they are open. They have some strange holidays, which may or may not be listed on the website. Our first attempt was on an unpublished holiday and we had to come again the next day. We arrived during their lunch break where only partial staff was working, still we got in and out in about an hour.

3. Getting There. I recommend taking BTS to Ratchadamri station. If you are staying in the Nana/Asok area, take BTS west to Siam station and then transfer to the southbound train (Silom Line transfer from Sukhumvit Line). Go just 1 station and get off at Ratchadamri station. Walk south on the west side of the street for about 5 minutes and the Red Cross is a large complex on the right side. Go inside the gate and you will see 3 large entrances, take the center entrance for STD testing.

4. Getting Started. Be sure you have your passport, that is checked. Everything is well labeled, including how to get started. You will go from station to station to station for registration, selection of services, blood and/or urine collection, and payment. They have plenty of English speaking help and they are clear in their directions (e.g. , go to station #X for blood collection). Very nice people, every one of them.

5. Selection of Services. If you know exactly what you want tested, you can tell them and they will make it happen. If you aren't sure, they offer consultations. Neither of us did the consultation, but in hindsight I wish I did one to learn exactly what testing and services were available.

6. Sample Collection. Depending on what tests you select, they will collect blood and/or urine. They give clear directions of where to go and what to do.

7. Payment. I paid cash, I don't know other forms of payment. I paid 1130 baht and got tested for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis; I don't remember the cost breakdown. My friend paid 330 baht total (he thinks 200 baht for HIV test and 130 baht for syphilis test).

8. Results. Although you can wait for some results and get a printed document, we left and our results were sent via email. The HIV and syphilis results arrived in an hour or two and my chlamydia and gonorrhea results arrived within a day or two.

9. Password. They will give you a password to open your emailed results, which should be your birthdate using the Thai calendar. In my case, they messed it up, but that was OK.

In the end, I was pleased at the whole experience. Oh, yes, we were both negative on all tests.

Similar experience here. I did anonymous testing, and got a green 'Wellness Plus Center' credit card-sized card with my initials and a bar code on it. Might use for imminent visit instead of the self-test route or private clinics.

[HorseTrader]

One of the good experiences I had last month in Thailand was STD testing at the Red Cross in Bangkok. I was fortunate that a local punter friend went with me, so it was an easy first time experience for me. Though it isn't as easy as paying big money at a private clinic like Pulse, it is a whole lot cheaper. This is my guide to using that Red Cross.

1. Finding it. Use Google Maps and find it. It's labeled as the "Red Cross Aids Research Centre" on Ratchadamri Road.

2. Hours of Operation. They are normal weekday business hours, I don't remember details so you should look at their website to verify that you are going at a time they are open. They have some strange holidays, which may or may not be listed on the website. Our first attempt was on an unpublished holiday and we had to come again the next day. We arrived during their lunch break where only partial staff was working, still we got in and out in about an hour.

3. Getting There. I recommend taking BTS to Ratchadamri station. If you are staying in the Nana/Asok area, take BTS west to Siam station and then transfer to the southbound train (Silom Line transfer from Sukhumvit Line). Go just 1 station and get off at Ratchadamri station. Walk south on the west side of the street for about 5 minutes and the Red Cross is a large complex on the right side. Go inside the gate and you will see 3 large entrances, take the center entrance for STD testing.

4. Getting Started. Be sure you have your passport, that is checked. Everything is well labeled, including how to get started. You will go from station to station to station for registration, selection of services, blood and/or urine collection, and payment. They have plenty of English speaking help and they are clear in their directions (e.g. , go to station #X for blood collection). Very nice people, every one of them.

5. Selection of Services. If you know exactly what you want tested, you can tell them and they will make it happen. If you aren't sure, they offer consultations. Neither of us did the consultation, but in hindsight I wish I did one to learn exactly what testing and services were available.

6. Sample Collection. Depending on what tests you select, they will collect blood and/or urine. They give clear directions of where to go and what to do.

7. Payment. I paid cash, I don't know other forms of payment. I paid 1130 baht and got tested for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis; I don't remember the cost breakdown. My friend paid 330 baht total (he thinks 200 baht for HIV test and 130 baht for syphilis test).

8. Results. Although you can wait for some results and get a printed document, we left and our results were sent via email. The HIV and syphilis results arrived in an hour or two and my chlamydia and gonorrhea results arrived within a day or two.

9. Password. They will give you a password to open your emailed results, which should be your birthdate using the Thai calendar. In my case, they messed it up, but that was OK.

In the end, I was pleased at the whole experience. Oh, yes, we were both negative on all tests.