I am happy to tell you that providers are among the healthiest individuals when it comes to STD's because we do have enough common sense and STD's education to utilize in this arena. You can always research what diseases you are afraid of and refrain from practicing certain activities that can lead to a higher risk of contracting an STD.
I've known some who take extreme risks with their health, all in the name of a few extra bucks.
When I was young I was intimate with about 6 civies, and got 3 STDs (Thankfully all of the type that antibiotics would cure.)
But out of the 100s of providers I've been with, the number of STDs I've gotten from them is nada.
Makes you wonder, don't it?
There is some pretty good published data about it.
Personally, I have never had an STI (other than a common cold that I caught from a sex partner), but I am extremely risk averse. HIV, Hep B and C and Herpes are the things I fear most, and HPV is also a nasty bug. Of these, good condom usage will almost totally protect you from HIV, and Hep. Herpes is a worry, but just take a look at her lips and vag before any oral contact and the risk is much lower if there are no sores. Many people have HPV, and sometimes it leads to genital warts. I don't have a good approach to protect from it, but I still haven't caught it.
The others Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, Syphilis, Candida, etc, are all curable with a short course of drugs.
Short answer is that you are on average much much safer with a sex worker than with a random girl you meet in a bar. Sex workers depend on their health for their work, and will on balance be much better at prosecuting safe sex than random civvies.
Those statistics apply to women who are tested biweekly or monthly and need to stay clean to keep working. CBJ is the norm. No such statistics are available for women who play in this realm...who often have to take more risks in order to remain competitive.
For sex workers brought into prison (not very representative of the ladies here...but unlike the ladies in your statistic, they are not required by law to test/keep healthy) STD rates are actually extremely high.
I really don't get the pervading idea that 'civvies' are safer than providers. I know some working girls I wouldn't tough with a ten-foot pole and they are NOT the ones offering quickies on BP. I know some civvies who are very cautious. Sorry, that generalization does NOT ring true to me.
There is also a great deal of published data about sex workers who aren't working under a regulated regime.
The data about sex workers going to prison is horribly influenced by coexisting drug addiction (Heroin addiction in a marginalized population is a much higher risk factor than sex work)
There is very good data about the risk of transmission of various STIs with different sex acts. Oral sex is relatively much lower risk for most STIs. Notably, there has never been a documented case of HIV transmission through oral sex.
This is a hugely complicated topic, but my conclusion is that the type of sex workers that frequent this board tend to be very good at safe sex practices (much more so than a random pickup at a bar). The residual risk from unprotected oral sex is in my mind manageable.
I've never heard of any reliable published data about STI incidence amongst reputable independents/agencies. Not in the US definitely...even if there was, Id be skeptical as it is tough to draw conclusions extrapolated from a few women about a population that is largely underground.
I personally have known some heavy hitters and worked in a very competitive market where high-risk activities are largely available and even encouraged. And while a few looked after themselves...what the rest had in common with you that they did what they pleased and didn't let unpleasant realities bother them too much 
Posted By: carndakine
There is also a great deal of published data about sex workers who aren't working under a regulated regime.
The data about sex workers going to prison is horribly influenced by coexisting drug addiction (Heroin addiction in a marginalized population is a much higher risk factor than sex work)
There is very good data about the risk of transmission of various STIs with different sex acts. Oral sex is relatively much lower risk for most STIs. Notably, there has never been a documented case of HIV transmission through oral sex.
This is a hugely complicated topic, but my conclusion is that the type of sex workers that frequent this board tend to be very good at safe sex practices (much more so than a random pickup at a bar). The residual risk from unprotected oral sex is in my mind manageable.
I'm on my iPhone now, so I can't peruse PubMed very quickly.
Short answer though is that using a condom for vaginal or anal sex will reduce risk of HIV dramatically, and even if it breaks and the partner has HIV, your risk of transmission is low.
Found tons of articles, but they were all about the prostitutes who were reachable..i.e. already in the health care and/or legal system
An accurate study of us normal (meaning mid to upper tier) ho-folk is pretty damn near impossible.
Posted By: carndakine
I'm on my iPhone now, so I can't peruse PubMed very quickly.
Short answer though is that using a condom for vaginal or anal sex will reduce risk of HIV dramatically, and even if it breaks and the partner has HIV, your risk of transmission is low.
-- Modified on 1/30/2014 1:58:58 PM
I will find it over the next few days, but there is a good one that came from a sex industry savvy clinic about 4 years ago with great data about frequency of various sex acts combined with infection frequency. They had one HIV positive case from a girl who had been a heroin user also, and then about 1500 girls and about 20 guys and 200 or so TG girls and guys with basically no Hep B or C, occasional Herpes, lots of HPV, occasional Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and almost no Syphillis.
honestly.
But I still think it's pretty meaningless...how can we deduce that this small sample is representative of the population as a whole?
Assuming that this study exists, these girls/guys/TG's not only knew enough to go to a sex-industry-savvy clinic but are responsible enough to get tested in the first place. I know girls who haven't gotten tested for years. I myself go to a personal doctor...even when I went to PP back in the day, I never disclosed my occupation. So I (and most girls I know) are not and never will be part of any statistical analysis.
You can believe what makes you feel best. I still doubt that it would be applicable to the general escort population. I've been in the trenches and my personal experiences tell me that risky behavior, irresponsibility, and STD's, in the TER/Eros/BP contingent, are very likely more prevalent than conventional wisdom (here) dictates.
You seem most concerned about HIV. I personally don't want to get herpes or even chlamydia, which can cause complications years later. I might have even had chlamydia at one point, between tests. Who knows?
-- Modified on 1/31/2014 1:16:48 PM
I was very, very,very worried about contracting an STD. It scares me, and if I ever do catch one- I would be so hurt mentally/emotionally..ahh... Some STDs are horrible...I don't want to loose my fertility among many other things that it does to a female body! :/ When I became part of the TER community, I seen several threads on the topic.. And I just hope that everyone in this hobby continues to get checked out, protects themselves, and prevents spreading anything!!
Xoxo Kayden
Same lady gave me an STD twice.
First time, I wasn't sure. Silly me, I went back.
Treatable luckily.
That's out of hundreds of encounters, so not a bad rate.
-- Modified on 1/30/2014 4:40:42 AM
We really can't post on the boards that a provider has an STD. Unless a guy can prove beyond doubt that a provider has an STD (which isn't possible)...people would think that he is unfairly trying to tarnish her reputation. The post would be removed.
There are a few providers I know who do NOT take care of their health, and I had a client who came sobbing to me after he caught herpes...he was married so it was a huge crisis for him. He asked me what recourse etc. was possible...I told him that unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. If he'd put it on the boards...white knights would've attacked, and the post would've come down within 2 minutes flat.
So horror stories - generally not shared, good luck finding anyone other than ADJ to admit to it on a board. if you're not comfortable with the risks - there ARE real risks - don't hobby, or confine it to fbsm and/or cbj
Hey, thanks for the great discussion. I already knew there were risks but just wanted to stick my toe in the water to get a feel for the mood out there.
"MAX"
Planned Parenthood offers STD Testing to men too. You don't need insurance and can pay cash if you need to be discreet. Its about $200 for everything. Every 6 weeks is good if you're a frequent flyer. Be safe.
I think the CDC runs a communications tool so that you can anonymously notify.
