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highlander · 07-01-2008, 11:58 AM

Actually, there are a couple factors here:
HIV tests vary quite a bit in how long they take to be accurate. The most common tests in use today test for antibodies and take about 3 months from time of infection to be 99% accurate in testing HIV infection. There are more expensive tests
that are accurate after 10 days or so(this PCR tests is available from aim-med.org and is the standard used for Porn Actors).

The dynamics of testing an entire group for a variety of diseases are different than testing one individual. If you are looking at the chance that someone in a tested swingers group has converted to being HIV+ you have to look at the amount of activity outside that group * the risk for each act. Also testing for a variety of diseases helps here(i.e. someone with any other STD is much more likely to go HIV+ than the general population).

The AIM Med foundation has been doing STD testing of adult film actors many of whom are sexually actived outside the industry-and many of whom aren't consistent users of condoms. There have been some cases of HIV in adult film actors(one case an actor went to brazil, got infected by an HIV transexual prostitute and came back to the US and exposed some other actors). However, the AIM experience does show that they
have dramatically reduced the incidence of HIV and other STD's among adult film actors.

If you want the ultimate in safety, you probably want to abstain. Condoms and playing in a tested group are complementary forms of precaution-using them together is safer than either done apart.

I haven't seen any convincing results that show that promoting condom use in populations can eradicate HIV--and some of the more interesting results of reducing incidence of HIV in populations focused largely on promoting/requiring testing(Cuba is one example where the HIV rate is signicantly lower than nearby Puerto Rico despite lower levels of resources in Cuba).

07-01-2008, 11:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
highlander Swingers Board Addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 143 Location: Portland,OR	Re: Test? what Test? Actually, there are a couple factors here: HIV tests vary quite a bit in how long they take to be accurate. The most common tests in use today test for antibodies and take about 3 months from time of infection to be 99% accurate in testing HIV infection. There are more expensive tests that are accurate after 10 days or so(this PCR tests is available from aim-med.org and is the standard used for Porn Actors). The dynamics of testing an entire group for a variety of diseases are different than testing one individual. If you are looking at the chance that someone in a tested swingers group has converted to being HIV+ you have to look at the amount of activity outside that group * the risk for each act. Also testing for a variety of diseases helps here(i.e. someone with any other STD is much more likely to go HIV+ than the general population). The AIM Med foundation has been doing STD testing of adult film actors many of whom are sexually actived outside the industry-and many of whom aren't consistent users of condoms. There have been some cases of HIV in adult film actors(one case an actor went to brazil, got infected by an HIV transexual prostitute and came back to the US and exposed some other actors). However, the AIM experience does show that they have dramatically reduced the incidence of HIV and other STD's among adult film actors. If you want the ultimate in safety, you probably want to abstain. Condoms and playing in a tested group are complementary forms of precaution-using them together is safer than either done apart. I haven't seen any convincing results that show that promoting condom use in populations can eradicate HIV--and some of the more interesting results of reducing incidence of HIV in populations focused largely on promoting/requiring testing(Cuba is one example where the HIV rate is signicantly lower than nearby Puerto Rico despite lower levels of resources in Cuba).