Gosh darnit! @#$!
That's what you get when you're just an honest girl; not a liar, let alone a 'good' liar and you're just trying to get something done without all the friggin' red tape and questions!

I get tested every six months, as by now, you're sick of hearing..I'm sure.

My reminder came up, no problem, as I already had an appointment. Then something else came up that I thought I'd look into, and I'll share that another time, and so I set my appt. with a different doctor so as to 'kill two birds with one stone'. Consult with him, AND get my 6 mo. screening..

Therefore, my 4" thick file was transferred to him. He asked, looking over his glasses, why was I requesting a full STD screen? Because, that's what I do every six months, and it's been six months, so I want it done. Why? He said, as a matter of fact, your whole file is full of STD screenings, and very little ELSE! (GYN) He commented that ratio-wise, he only saw ONE mammogram, and a few PAPS to which I mentioned I never miss an annual PAP, but have had most of those at Planned Parenthood, and don't BELIEVE in Mammograms, so I WON'T be having another one - period! And have finally gotten my GP to not only get off my back, but agree!

Well, long and short of it is, he REFUSED to do any STD screenings, saying they weren't necessary! Even Planned Parenthood, (who, BTW, due to CA budget problems, is in SERIOUS trouble so please support them in any way) also refused saying my request was excessive and unnecessary!

Forget the fact that I take pride in letting my clients know that I am current on all testings and they are 'safe' when with me - as that's SECONDARY to this post. I also noticed the questionning on the patient forms is much more intrusive. The form he had me fill out asked how many people I have ever had sex with? How many of those were heterosexual encounters? How many bi-sexual? How many with multiple partners simultaneously? How many unprotected? (none, except my personal life partner) etc. etc.
I understand the need for questionnaires in order to form statistics, and can appreciate that, but hell - this was one mighty deterrent!
Look, I just want to get the care I want, and pay for, without getting brow-beaten, bullied and bulldozed! What the hell difference is it anyway whether I've had 42 sexual encounters or 26? And, I can't go to any of those AIM things, because we don't have any, and besides I can't afford the costs for them anyway!
So, if I'm going to hold to my own standards, and then also expect that others do so as well, there's got to be an easier way for people to not only act responsibly, but to have the cooperation of the medical field! And WITHOUT the intrusive questioning!

Seriously, I don't think I'm wrong here, but you gents DO have it easier, in that if you DID tell your practitioner that you 'see' other ladies, there is little judgement, hell, the doctor would probably 'high five' you! But, for us ladies, if I ended up forced to tell someone that I'm an escort, the scourge would be absolutely incredible!
It really stinks..

Sedona, thanks for sharing this with us. It gives me another light what you gals go through. You're always full of poignant observations. I hope a different physician would do a better job of just doing his job, without projecting his morals onto his patients.

One thing you didn't mention was whether you were seeing this physician as part of your HMO, PPO, POS etc. insurance, or if you were paying out-of-pocket.

If it was being paid through your insurance, then the carrier might have limitations on the amount of STD testing in any given period. If you were paying for these tests yourself, however, I would imagine you should be able to find other physicians to perform the tests.

Indirectly, you are raising privacy concerns when you note the intrusive nature of the questioning. I think these concerns are valid, as I recall several articles recently raising questions about how secure these health files are. For example, does your employer, who typically pays for much of health insurance, have the right to see your file? Can the employer use this information to discriminate against you? My recollection is that there weren't any satisfactory answers. Also, the latest HIPAA regulations do little or nothing to address these issues.

and its affecting the amount of care they give.  I had an injury recently and went to the emergency room.  They told me that they wouldn't help me because I had just come from work.  I explained that the accident happened at home and I was at work when I decided I couldn't take the pain anymore.  We argued and yelled for about 15 min before someone decided to admit me.  

You almost have to speak with a lawyer before speaking to a healthcare manager.  They will try to worm out of it any way they can.  If you tell them the real number of partners you have they may think you are too much of a risk for them to work with.  If you tell them why them may drop you because you are in a high risk profession.  If you don't tell them why they may think you are a hypocondriac dust wasting their money.  

Modern healthcare sucks!

I get tested under an assumed name at the Public Health Clinic as I don't want to run any risk of information getting into a file my employer, etc. may see someday.  Usin an assumed name also makes it easier for me to disclose information about my hobby.  Although I inform staff of my hobby I've had problems getting full STD tests. They seem to only want to test me for AIS/HIV (maybe this is budget related).  I'm even been told that since I always use condoms and only have heterosexual sex I shouldn't worry "all that much".  And yes, I get some disapproving looks when I tell people I see providers (which is not the word they use when discussing my partners.)

or at least they did about 6 months ago.  Last time around, I called up AIM thru the number on their website and they directed me to an east county location.  Blood was drawn, sent overnight to LA, then results came back a week later.  Heck, I even got a porno card saying I was clean.  Now, if only Jenna would return my calls...

Although I am sure your feeling about the physician's attitude towards you is correct, a lot of health care companies are on a tear at the end of the year to cut costs so the profit margins are plentiful. Those 2 factors are always a troublesome combination. It does not help when some physician's "bonus" is dictated by the amount of "treatment" they do not render, too.

Like Jmy said, I would immediately consult with a lawyer to see what your avilable options.

God speed, Sedona.

Or to borrow a quote from HBO's dramatization of And the Band Played On: "When doctor's start acting like businessmen, who do people turn to when they need doctors?"

  One part of your message said "the care I want and I pay for"?  I also get tested every so often and have never been questioned, but I do pay for it. I don't expect HMO's, PPO's or any type of insurance to support my lifestyle.  Sorry if I missed something but you left a few questions in my mind.

I went to my regular doctor MONTHLY when I was serial dating.. I just passed the marker where I don't have to do the monthly exams any longer.

All I did was tell my doctor I had a HIGH RISK SEXUAL ENCOUNTER and I didn't need to elaborate, although I was quite comfortable with my doctors in doing so.  (They don't write down the dirty details, only what's necessary.)

They always agreed that a high risk sexual encounter deserved testing in all orafice that was exposed immediately~~NOT AFTER SIX MONTHS (and it is a separate culture tube for chlamydia oral~~the pink on ice at kaiser).

FIRE your DOCTOR and choose another if they aren't serving your needs and you aren't comfortable being honest.

One suggestion that I saw on the national board.... a lady told her doctor that her partner was cheating on her.... I know that's not the TRUTH, but it got the doctor off her back if you're not the type that can just tell the doctor what's up.

Elise, [email protected]

One thing you can do to protect yourself  is not take so many unnecessary risks...........It is unbelievable to me how many woamn in this industry.........or so I am told.............do not protect themselves properly...........ie. uncovered  bjs..........cumming in the mouth...........anal sex.............kissing tons of men..........maybe if you  were proactive in  protecting your health during your sexual encounters......you would not need so many tests  anyway.

Your sermon sounds a little too judgmental to me.

Most ladies within this hobby are very protective of themselves as well as their client's welfare, hence the testing. I applaud those ladies who do test on a periodic basis regardless of their activity.

Risks are everywhere in this life, not only here. Multiple partners even if protected, is a risk in and of itself , period. What one person decides to do is up to them and they should not be castigated for it.

As the old saying goes,.."you make your choices and take your risks."

I screened every six months even while I had a three-year period of celibacy...(however that screening was HIV only, duh)

I would go in and lie saying i only had sex with like 3 people.  Of coarse they would look at you funny if you say 50 people in the past 6 months. Or you can say your boyfriend cheated on you and hes the only one youve slept with, it just makes those things alot easier.

It is bad enough that my insurance won't pay for more than 8 tablets of viagra per month.  

Now the system won't test one of our best providers for STD's when she specifically requests it......what do they want to do, have you contract one before they will confirm it?

I hate to see the noble medical profession tightening their belts and cutting costs....it is almost as bad as grocery store workers striking because they have to start paying insurance co-pays....

I guess I am still just pissed off because my urologist's nurse never called me back with my prostrate screening results.

Now don't get me wrong, I like my urologist.  She is the only person who my ass has a relationship with!!  I just about kissed her when she tested my prostrate for seminal fluid one time.  But even she did not know the difference between genital warts and an ingrown hair follicle when I was concerned about HPV a while back.  I can still recall her telling me to hold the vinegar soaked cotton gauze on my testicles while she went and looked for the blacklight to identify the culprit.

I never could look at a blacklight the same way again (I grew up with blacklight posters plastered all over my walls).  Even now, the smell of vinegar makes me feel like I need a bath.....lol.

Seriously, you should interview the doctor the same as you would any contractor that you are about to employ.  There is a lot to be said for having a rapport with your clients and doctors without bedside manner, or ones that don't listen to what you are asking to be tested for, are not worth wasting your time with.

And don't get me started on emergency rooms because I could tell you some stories that get me really going, much less the ridiculous amount of money that had to be paid for such services.

It is not only jails that keep the temperature of their facilities freezing cold, because the ER that I have seen do the eexact same thing.  

There, I feel much better now......thanks for letting me vent some frustration with you.   Whoops, I almost forgot to mention dentists.......but that is a whole different story.  

Hey, I have an idea.  Wouldn't it be great if someone started a website similar to TER but for the professionals (doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc) that we all end up using but not really having any way to research them beforehand?  

a condom is an excellent start, but it isn't 100% effective at protecting against the germies... (A splash of HIV+ ejaculate  is WAY more dangerous in your eyeball or a cut in your cuticle than it is in your saliva covered and wound free digestive tract, yes?)

SO, before you do the preaching, read the labels, educate yourself and if you have even ONE HIGH RISK ENCOUNTER, ie: providing, test.. that month, whether you played covered orally provided deep kisses and anal...and showed up asymptomatic or not.

Most providers, in my never so humble opinion are having riskier relations at home, with their significant others, than they are when they are out providing, in any case.. I TYPED MOST, NOT ALL... I mean can we really count on our partners being faithful and monogamous?

Stay safe and TEST OFTEN  (Don't forget that Oral Gonnorhea & Chlamydia Culture Screening!!!)

Elise [email protected]

Undoubtably, "No" as she is too busy conducting "clinical seman withdrawls" from gentlemen like JMY & SDMIKAL.

Although I have said it an above message in this post, I will say it again,...on behalf of all the hobbyists, we thank you ladies for taking the time, effort and money to be tested regularly and not unsafely, soley relying upon the use of condomns for protection. I agree with Sedona's post that we guys should be tested as well, especially if we are involved in the hobby. But most of all, thanks for all the affection, warmth and generousity you show all of us. You show that it is possible to be a true "GFE" and still be safe without the nuerotic behavior dispayed by some providers. And that is what this hobby is all about!