First off, there _have_ been substantial organizations that have operated STD testing programs for their members:
More University in the Bay Area
Kerista Commune
Rajneesh Community
now none of those operations were commercial businesses in the conventional sense(i.e. they were popularly labeled as sex cults). I've seen a few swinger clubs that have advertised STD testing required--but it is plausible they went under because of that. The Ace of Hearts had some specific events that required STD testing-and they were fairly popular from what heard. However, there _were_ complaints from those that weren't admitted.
The current, large scale example of a working STD testing program is that the AIM Medical foundation operates in the porn industry. Now, the results there have been better than a lot of folks predicted.
As far as costs, I _DO_ understand that in the present market, $600/year in testing per patron is a bit high-and that would limit the market. Now, one important thing to get here is the economy of scale. That $600/year involves some tests that are pretty pricey because they are new. Those costs will come down _IF_ there was a large block of customers. That puts us in a chicken/egg situation. Basically if things scaled up, I think that a quality testing program could be done for $80/year per patron.
Now the question to ask yourself:
What are the costs associated with STD infections(I'm not thinking just HIV here)? What are the costs to your industry overall?
Now, you may be right that you as an individual club owner can't really deal with it. I'm not entirely sure of that though. I've only seen really good testing services available the last few years(i.e. the stuff
AIM Foundation sells I think has met that bar-the past stuff has been problematic).
Anyhow, what is happening in the real world is we have have a significant rise of STD infections nationwide for a while now. One of the latest developments is that HIV is increasingly becoming a
heterosexual disease in the rural south. That is the type of thing that will in time have political effects.
When you look at this history here, when some problem like this gets big enough, voters demand action, and political plans that might not have been otherwise considered get considered. Adolph Hitler got elected on a platform that included closing large brothels in Germany? Why? Because syphilis was getting big enough it just couldn't be swept under the carpet-and Hitler had a plan for which there weren't that many other alternatives out there.
I was living in SF when modern day public health officials shut down sex clubs there. I think it was a BIG mistake-but I saw it done.
I think the choice folks in the US sex industry have is to get serious about self-regulation or actively supporting constructive legislative proposals that will actually work. There are REAL LIFE examples of this-what AIM Foundation is doing in the porn industry has _worked_(I'd love to see a trailer on EVERY porn film sold in the US explaining what the testing is that porn stars go through to act in those films I think that would be more helpful than just about anything else).
Quote:
Originally Posted by VegasLee  highlander,
What you propose is the "perfect world" solution to all problems regarding this matter.
Problem is, this is the real world. What you are proposing would never work at any club, ours or others.
The costs would be out of this world and the dozen people that would agree to it about of the 1000 I see each week would be the only members coming to the club.
...........................
This is not something that people want to deal with in a club. Most won't even deal with it like an adult in private.
Adults need to act like adults, take the responsibility as an adult that wants to play in this world. They need to be tested on their own, if they are found to have anything at all that could effect the health of others they need to stay out of the clubs and the Lifestyle until they are cured and safe. Simple as that. Your right, many don't know they are infected because they don't take the effort to be responsible for their own well being and actions. They want everyone else to do it for them. If things get to far out of hand, it will become illegal to have sex with anyone other then your one spouse, the government will step in and protect the public from their own actions. That is the real world. |