Being honest about STDs

[happy_single_bi]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

So I'd like to add a question to your question. Let's assume that most swingers do get tested regularly for STD's (personally I think that is even a big assumption), if you do get tested, what do you get tested for? Do you just have your Dr run the basic STD testing (which typically only checks for chlamidia and (I think it's) syphilus) or do you specifically ask them to test for you everything they possibly can?

I had an ex who was into bi-sexual strippers with herpes... Imagine that! Thank goodness I wasn’t sleeping with him in the end!

In fear for my life, I have been tested every month for the past 10 years( the waiting period for the AIDS virus to show up)... waiting ... hoping and thank goodness...I am negative, for everything.

I plan to run tests for aids, herpes and gonorrhea... every time I expect to play. I will show up with my “play papers”. I am going to insist on the same.

I may be way off here but I have been lied to enough in one lifetime...I am not interested in taking any...and I mean ...any... unnecessary chances.

Even with a clean bill of health I will insist on condoms. I want fun not a continuing ongoing battle with a persistent incurable disease.

As for lying to get a piece… that is a statement that really concerns me. I am forewarned. Thanks. Sorry but it does make a difference especially if you are lucky enough to really be D and D.

[Dave_kat]

Dave here.

Just a couple of things I've thought about after reading this one.

Supposedly 90% of all people are infected with some form of HSV. OK, so if we've all got it in one form or another, then wouldn't disease free imply "ok, well, we recognise that we're probably carriers, just like the next person, so it's excluded from the list of diseases that we're typically concerned about, as long as it's not one of the versions that actually shows up in warts?

Also, this generated a question in my mind. Due to my travels in the Army, I now have antibodies for several things that most won't, including Anthrax, Small Pox, and a few other various diseases. Since I've been "exposed" to versions of those bugs, is that something I should be concerned with during play time?

[happy_single_bi]

I now have antibodies for several things that most won't, including Anthrax, Small Pox, and a few other various diseases. Since I've been "exposed" to versions of those bugs, is that something I should be concerned with during play time?

No unless you are into bestiality... (Anthrax and cows right )

Sorry couldn't resist the cow joke... it is a slow day at the office

Actually you should be counting your lucky stars that your immunity out ranks the average civilian.

Happy

[Dave_kat]

lmao.. don't I wish. Until you've had the line up in files and go through the air injectors or dealt with an arm you can't move because the shot makes the muscle lock up for a week?

[TnJ2Play]

Originally Posted by Dave_kat

Dave here.

Supposedly 90% of all people are infected with some form of HSV. OK, so if we've all got it in one form or another, then wouldn't disease free imply "ok, well, we recognise that we're probably carriers, just like the next person, so it's excluded from the list of diseases that we're typically concerned about, as long as it's not one of the versions that actually shows up in warts?

I just wanted to clarify something here. HPV is responsible for warts; HSV is herpes. Two different incurables.

J

[imsnowman]

This is information taken from herpes advisory websites. Drawn your own conclusions but some of the posts in this thread appear to be incorrect.
Mere contact with an infected person will not cause you to "catch" it. You must have skin-to-skin contact with an infected person's outbreak site to "catch" herpes. Participating in oral sex with someone who has a common cold sore can result in a genital herpes type I infection.
As far as herpes II specifically: (All numbers approx. but close) 25% of the adult population has herpes. 3 in 12 persons one might meet at a club will have it. Of those 3, 2 won't even know it. A percentage of the individuals who do know will not acknowledge it. In any case, 1 of every 6 potential club partners will have herpes and not know it.

The following are some quotes from various papers I found on the Net:
Asymptomatic shedding (ie, no sore present but viral shedding at the outbreak site) is most likely to occur in the week before or after a recurrence.
Taking daily antiviral medication reduces the frequency of episodes of viral shedding. This may be particularly helpful when you first get the herpes virus, as viral shedding is more frequent in the earlier days.
Asymptomatic shedding occurs more frequently in the first few years after primary genital herpes and declines with time. Herpes simplex type 1(cold sore herpes which about 90% of the entire population has), which causes an increasing proportion of genital HSV infections, is less frequently shed than is HSV type 2. The rate of shedding among men is similar to that of women. There is a positive correlation between symptomatic and asymptomatic reactivation: persons with frequent recurrences also have more asymptomatic shedding.
A recent study has begun to answer the question of whether a genital herpes patient taking a daily dose of an antiviral drug can lower the risk of transmitting HSV-2 to an uninfected partner. Three antiviral drugs are approved to treat or suppress outbreaks of genital herpes: acyclovir, famciclovir and valacyclovir. Most clinically apparent outbreaks can be prevented by taking one of these drugs daily. In addition, daily acyclovir reduces asymptomatic viral shedding by 95%.
Auto-inoculation: An infected individual can spread the virus to other parts of his or her body by touching an area shedding virus and then touching, scratching, or rubbing another susceptible part of the body.
Dr. Sherzer, an MD who gives lectures at LifeStyle conventions seems comfortable with using a NewSkin type barrier over the active sites and continuing to play!
How does this apply to the average couple who know they have herpes and those who'd like to play with them? Folks who are some years removed from their initial outbreak and who have been on a daily antiviral suppression regime since then are very unlikely to be asymptomatically shedding. They will know where their outbreak sites are, how long its been since the last outbreak and any who play with them will be able to make an informed decision as to whether its possible to avoid the sites. Standard safe sex practises (condoms/dental dams) can protect you from herpes if they cover the sites.

[Candy&Cane]

can somebody give me a link to these statistics? Cause a lot that has been said here is totally new for me...

Ive asked to be tested before I slept with my bf for the first time.. for herpes, hepetitis, clamydia, hiv (did I miss something? Think I did; anyway, Ive asked to be tested on all std's). Everything came out negative thank god... But nothing was said about being a carrier???

I've had some troubles with PAP (is that how you call it) but it was just irritation (can be even caused by syntethic underwair); it has been checked and it was just a little 'fungus-infection' (dont know how to call it in english sorry; but its caused by an imbalance of the vaginal 'flora' ) which is VERY common among women...

Couples we know that swing get tested nearly every 4 to 6 months.. As soon as we're actively involved in swinging we will too, no doubt about it!

[northindycpl]

Candy... you had a yeast infection, BTW...

A couple at a club was disscussing a similar topic. She said she had gotten a genital wart when she was in Highschool. She said that she was having a very difficult, painful urination, so she went to the DR and he gave her antibiotic, and removed the wart. She said that she has never had anything (warts/breakouts) since.

Question? Does anyone with genital warts have herpes? I am confused by the posts. Lets say you had a genital wart 10 years ago. Went to the DR, took medicine, it disappeared and you have never had anything like that happen again, does that mean you are a carrier? So if you have had a wart does that mean that you have herpes, even if you don't break out?

I thought that Chlymedia caused warts? Is that true?

Can you get herpes from playing at a club? Like if you sat on a seat after a carrier sat there?

Wow... so much to think about!

[Candy&Cane]

Hahaha thanks; that sounds less yuk!!

I've the same question too.. I dont really get it...

[imsnowman]

Originally Posted by northindycpl

Candy... you had a yeast infection, BTW...

A couple at a club was disscussing a similar topic. She said she had gotten a genital wart when she was in Highschool. She said that she was having a very difficult, painful urination, so she went to the DR and he gave her antibiotic, and removed the wart. She said that she has never had anything (warts/breakouts) since.

Question? Does anyone with genital warts have herpes? I am confused by the posts. Lets say you had a genital wart 10 years ago. Went to the DR, took medicine, it disappeared and you have never had anything like that happen again, does that mean you are a carrier? So if you have had a wart does that mean that you have herpes, even if you don't break out?

I thought that Chlymedia caused warts? Is that true?

Can you get herpes from playing at a club? Like if you sat on a seat after a carrier sat there?

Wow... so much to think about!

Chlaymedia doesn't cause warts. One of the many varieties of HPV (human papillomavirus) cause warts, genital or otherwise. You don't get herpes from warts. They are two seperate diseases.

As noted in my post two above yours you get herpes only after skin-to-skin contact with an HSV, HSV1 or HSV2 shedding sore.

The best thing to do to allay your fears is to do a google search of Herpes and HPV.

[northindycpl]

I went to a website herpes.com and there is a lot of great information. The website indicated that if someone with a breakout, shed onto a towel it could be passed to other through the towel. The site also stated that studies are being performed to see how long the virus can live outside the body. (ie if it is possible to be transmitted through toilet seats)

Gosh.... there is so much to worry about! So many things to be aware of!

[imsnowman]

Originally Posted by Candy&Cane

can somebody give me a link to these statistics? Cause a lot that has been said here is totally new for me...
SNIP

I collected this information from many different websites. I did not keep the specific URL's. However, I just did a simple Google search for HPV and HSV or herpes and came up with more info then I could review tonight.

Try doing your own search to reassure yourself.

We've decided that safe sex (condoms and dams) adequately protects us even when involved with infected partners if the other conditions outlined in my post Dec 31 are meet. We don't use others towels.

[Candy&Cane]

I will... but I thought you all were talking about specific new research data or something

[imsnowman]

Nope, unfortunately, since herpes is not life-threatening and doesn't cost the economy a lot there is not a lot of money for new research. Also, it's life cycle is difficult to interrupt.

[blissedcpl]

For information about surveys and statistics on many health problems, see www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm. I don’t know how to interpret the statistical abstracts and survey information on this site, so I don’t have a specific link to a table of numbers. However, here’s the summary I read of the 2002 government data on www.racoon.com/herpes:

“NHANES III evaluated over 13,000 people over age 12 for HSV1 and HSV2 via type specific Elisa. In an article published in 2002 that evaluated the NHANES III data:

51.0% were positive for HSV-1 only
5.3% had HSV2 only
16.6% of persons were coinfected with HSV-1 and HSV-2

So, on average 22% (5.3+16.6) of these 13,000 Americans had HSV2. 76.6% on average (51 + 16.6) had HSV1.”

(NHANES is the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control.)

For more information about all sexually transmitted infections, see www.plannedparenthood.org/sti or www.ashastd.org. See www.cdc.gov/az.do for the CDC’s A-Z index of nearly every imaginable infection, disease or condition, including sti’s.