It depends on how the statistics are compiled. If it's measuring crack whores and street walkers who don't give a shit about safety and health, the numbers are meaningless when applied to an educated woman who takes these issues seriously and takes precautions againist them.
Granted, your chances of catching something are greater than those of society at large, but as long as you keep your head about you as regards matters of health, you should be fine.
Misty, You may have been referring to my posts on the subject of STDs last month. I posed the suggestion that the STD statistics for upscale/middleclass providers, who use the internet for their business address instead of some bar or street corner in the red light district, and their clients, dont necesarily apply. I even think the chances of STD transmission may be less than with the typical "one night stand" resulting from some bar liason. The Readers of TER may well be in a category by themselves. Im impressed with your focus on testing and the obvious attention you pay to the issue. I would like to know from other providers what they think and how they deal with the issue as well.
Well here is one other providers input:
I myself get tested every 4-6 weeks. I, like Sexy Curves, am mainly concern with the big HIV cause that one kills, however I do get tested for all the other little ones as well. That is because I feel like if I did get something that could be cleared up with antibiotics, the more frequently I go in to get checked, the sooner I can know and the less people I expose. So far I have been lucky (knockin' on wood) and even with all the good results, I still stick to going in every 4-6weeks.
I know perhaps the gentlemen don't play as often as the girls do, however I do hope that from time to time, especially after seeing a new girl, take the time to get checked as well. If we all take care of ourselves and each other, we can relax a bit and have fun 
Nadine
-- Modified on 9/16/2002 11:25:27 AM
Because, actually, I disagree that you "should" have caught some disease by now.
According to the CDC, there are approximately 40,000 new cases of HIV in the US each year. Of that 40,000, men who have sex with men make up 42% of the cases. 33% of cases come from heterosexual sex, and then 25% come from intraveneous drug use. So now we know that there are about 13,000 cases a year from heterosexual sex, which for us ladies is our main concern. This info is according to the CDC statistics which you can view for yourself at this link: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/news/At-a-Glance.pdf (This is a PDF file and requires adobe acrobat reader... you can get acrobat for free at adobe.com)
Now the only stat I could find on the population of the US (I'm sure I could find better figures if I looked harder), was that in the year 2000, we had a population of approximately 3 million people. So that is 40,000 HIV cases per year from a population of 3 million! And of that 40,000, only 13000 or so are heterosexual... and you have to realize that about half of those are women. (Altho, according to the CDC, the odds of catching HIV from a woman are low to nill, they still say it is POSSIBLE. Link: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/wsw.htm)
Thus as you can see the risks are low. The risks get lower when you consider the fact that we are using condoms (which, used correctly, lower the risk to almost nill! Read the CDC about that), our gentlemen friends are *generally speaking* from the middle to upper classes and not the lower (where, I am sorry to say and mean no offense to anyone, but HIV rates are obviously disproportionately high.), and our risk is lower still.
So, could it happen? Absolutely. But *should* it have happened to you by now??? Of course not!!!!! HIV is a very real risk and something we all need to be educated and aware of, but I'd much rather see folks doing some research on their own (I am not a research scientist, this info is easily available on the web!), to find out the real facts, than just be hysterical over the possibility or exxagerate their risks. It's our responsibility to KNOW what risks we are willing to take, and not just guess.
Now if you want to talk about the other STD's... well I am tired of researching and pulling up links now, lord knows I've posted links to tons of info here before. But it's all available on the web. HIV is my PRIMARY concern because it is the only STD that can kill you. All the other STD's except genital warts and herpes are easily cleared by a course of antibiotics. Oh, and the most recent one and I admit that I am still learning about this one, Hepatitis... but hepatitis does not usually result in death either.
Hugs*
Nicole
