As part of a recent physical I was tested for HIV. Results were NEGATIVE!!  Hooray.
But that started me thinking about exposure risks in my hobby.

CIM, Riming, squirting,and others are exchanges of bodily fluids that could contain, not only HIV, but the complete offering of all STDs.  There seems to be an almost singular focus on protecting penile vaginal/ass penetration, it not much else.

Don't get me wrong I love cuming in my hot women's mouth and watching her carefully lick all my cum off my cock, show me my cum in her mouth and then tilt her head back and swallow.  Her analysis of the taste is sometimes the funniest thing I will have heard all day - almost like a wine review - but a lot more fun.

And although I have yet to experience rimming, I look forward to losing my rim virginity!

But I do worry about bringing leaving with more than a smile and good memories?  Am I off base?

They handle serious questions like this...

Just try a search.  Congrats on your test results, BTW!  I hope the rest of the physical was equally positive.

I don't see any reason to tell someone that it's not welcome here. The topic of safeguarding your health can never never get too much space, imo. There's nothing more important than staying safe, and that means finding out information and sharing information.  

Re oral sex, there is no evidence that HIV is spread in that way. If you want to see a very good discussion board for everything you've always wanted to know about HIV and everything you should know but did not know, check out The Body. (link below)

Re the results of your recent HIV test: You likely did **not** have a test; you had a screen, and there is a significant difference. Your blood sample was probably tested for the presence of antibodies, which can take up to six months (and for some people up to a year) to show up on a test. This means that the screening you had done is really a "test" (screen) of what was going on in your a few months ago; it does not tell you for sure if you are clean at this time.  

The only way for you know if you are clean right now is to have a viral load test, which tests for the presence of the virus itself. This is the test that medical professionals use on themselves if they have had a mishap while treating an HIV+ patient. It is also the same test that HIV patients are given to assess how they are responding to treatment, by checking the blood samples for the presence of the virus itself (i.e., viral load).  

The viral load test has recently been approved for testing for initial infection for the general public, but usually, you'll need to have that done in a hospital ER after an incident that is worthy of concern. It is not as readily available or as inexpensive as the routine screening tests, but the peace of mind from having this sort of test done is worth it, in my opinion. Your GP may be able to administer this test, and some public health clinics will augment the routine antibody tests with the viral load/nucleic testing.  

 
So one more time, the regular old routine "test" is not a test, but a screen; the only way to know for sure is either to have a viral load test (waiting about two weeks since possible exposure, ideally) OR have an HIV antibody test done, wait another six months while abstaining from all sex, and then have another HIV antibody test done. If your HIV antibody screen is positive, you will be referred for more testing, NOT given a diagnosis, because of it being a screen, NOT a test.  

The routine HIV screening test is not a test! It's a screen and will tell you what was going on in your body a few months ago.  

I don't think it can be repeated often enough. You do not know for sure that you are clean until you've either waited six months or had a viral load test done.  

I guess it is obvious that I believe we all have a responsibility to be tested regularly. It's not something to do once every couple of years if you are not either celibate or in a monogamous relationship. It is something that should be at the very least done as often you get your teeth cleaned--at least several times a  year if you are not monogamous.

Get tested! Talk about it! Don't be shy and don't shoo away the topic when it comes up. Getting the information out there and encouraging each other is always a good thing. Get tested!  

Back to your regularly scheduled chit chat now. (But get tested! More than once!)

Miss Diana is spot on with her timely information/reminder about something that brought the bare backing days of the sexual revolution to a stop(, that is, for those who have an IQ above 12!

One bit of info that I have told new, as well as seasoned ladies about placing their lips around a lolly pop with a creamy center is to brush at least 4 hours before enjoying the candy, and wait 4 hours afterwards to brush again. In between use the antiseptic mouthwash, mints, hard candy(real kind) to freshen up) Toothbrushes cause small nicks in the gums big enough to drive a virus through(
This applys to guys as well, who enjoy kissing kitty kats^..^.

Unfortunately, just waking up every day is a risk of being hit by an 18-wheeler, having a heart attack, etc. ad nauseum, just drive defensively, eat right, and take protection/precautions each time you enjoy a dance.

-- Modified on 4/15/2013 12:27:58 AM

Woo hoo! Now this is a post that I can get behind.  

I myself am such a stickler about dental hygiene, but the Bird Lover (did you get your suet feeders out?) is spot on.  I see it on some websites: "Please be sure to brush your teeth at my incall." NO! No! NO! Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

I usually bring up this topic with people I am meeting for the first time, especially those who are so considerate (they want me to know that they read my website, and I love them for that), but what they need to know is that brushing and flossing can, as the Bird Lover pointed out, create tiny abrasive wounds through which those pesky, nasty little microbes can gain easier entrance to your blood stream. And heaven knows, none of us wants to make it easier for those microbes.

I disagree about the types of mouthwash mentioned by the Bird Lover, though. (If you meet us outside, about 3 am, after the bar closes, he and I will fight this out ; )     From what I have been able to ascertain through my Google travels, Listerine and the like are NOT good for your oral health. They have alcohol in them, which interferes with the natural ability of the mouth (oral cavity, lol) to do what it does so well--fight invasions of nasty bacteria and worse, with its own natural enzymes. It is these enzymes, so efficient at protecting us even from the food we eat (yes, your food is nasty and loaded with lots of not-good things too) that make it so difficult, if not impossible, for the HIV virus to thrive in that environment. For that reason, and for all the other things "out there" that can infect you, you want to do everything you can to help your oral balance remain stable. That means protecting and encouraging those enzymes. Listerine might give you a temporary and immediate rush of "minty clean," but it's also destroying your balance. Try one of the mouthwashes made for "dry mouth" instead. They are available now OTC and in such good flavors. Banish Listerine!  

BUT! There is more "out there" waiting to get anyone who lets their guard down. HIV is not our only nasty microbe, so it will do you well to learn all you can about everything that might invade your precious bod (see my website for why I care so much my own precious bod ; ), and then make an informed and intelligent decision about what you are willing to do or not do. Always keep this in mind: there is NO such thing as safe sex, unless you include masturbation in your description of what constitutes sex. There are ways to mitigate your risks, but that does not mean anything is 100% safe. Nothing that involves the presence of another person and his or her body is 100% safe--ever. There is no room to let your guard down, but there are things to learn and ways to lessen your overall risk. It is making informed choices and being 100% consistent with them that will do you well. Every time, no matter how tempting someone is, every single time, no exceptions. Lather, rinse, repeat.  

Brushing your teeth and flossing are always good--unless it's within a few hours of partaking in one of life's other really good things, non-monogamous sex. Put down your toothbrush (and get an electric one, for heaven's sake), put down your floss, pick up your oral enzyme mouth rinse, your gum, your mints and your water, and help your oral cavity to do what it does so well, protecting you with its enzymes. (And did you know that chewing sugar-free gum is very good for your teeth?  Pick up some Trident today; three out of four informed Providers recommend it ; )  

And get tested! Get tested a few times a year! Talk about it! Encourage it! Make it part of normal, every day conversation! Getting tested is cool!  

And yes, fill up your bird feeders. Do it .. for the birds. Do everything else for yourself and the rest of the population. (Get tested!) (Let's all say it again: Get tested!)