Generally speaking, common sense prevailis. The topic of risk associated with activities have been discussed numerous time on this board. I would encourage you to do a search.
Having said that, I have complied a few responses to previous post that I thought you might find useful.
[PS: A special thanks to Clarence37, and Mathesar for your invaluable contibutions on this subject.]
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In terms of STDs, and HIV common sense prevails.
For STDs, there are visible signs of breakouts, rash, cooties, discoloration of skin, scars, etc... that should ring warning bells. The overall appearance, and hygine of the peson also should be considered.
Terms of HIV there is a lot of literature out there that helps dispense off several myths. For starters, you cannot contract HIV by kissing. The most common way to contract HIV is through personal fluids (blood, semen) getting into your body by accidental contact. Be safe and wear a condom, and select elite providers who see select few screened clients.
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here's what has to happen for you to be infected with a bloodborne disease (HIV/hepatitis):
1) your partner must be infected
2) their viral load must be high (an infected person's potential to infect others varies with a number of factors)
3) you must come into contact with a significant amount of certain body fluids, like blood or semen; you must absorb the fluid through a mucous membrane or open skin area
4) the contact must be extended; the shorter the contact, the less chance for infection
5) your immune system must be unable to fight off the infection
rough anal sex is the most likely to spread bloodborne disease; oral sex is the least. there is no documented case of anyone ever contacting HIV through receiving oral sex; you could get it through performing but it is unlikely. if you do perform bbjtc, take a facial or swallow it and rinse quickly to reduce your risk to almost zero (the acid in your stomach will kill the virus). holding it in your mouth for an extended time is the worst thing you can do.
odds of contracting HIV through unprotected sex? estimated at approximately .3% (3 in 1000). odds of contracting HIV through unprotected sex with a KNOWN INFECTED partner? i've seen it estimated at anywhere from 1% to no more than 12%.
check out the link i've included for lots of Q&A, or do a search on HIV, BLOODBORNE, STD, etc. there's a ton of info out there.
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A provider who sees two guys a day and works about 250 days a year will have about 500 dates a year. For the sake of discussion let's define a high-volume provider as someone who has 1000 dates a year.
A previous post said that 50 million people world-wide are HIV positive. The United Nations estimate I just looked up said 40 million at the end of 2001. Whatever. There are more than 6 billion people in the world. That is an infection rate of under 1%. I think the rate for the United States is about 0.3%. Let us assume 1% for the sexually active US population.
A high-volume provider having 1000 dates a year can expect to have (on average) sex with a HIV positive man about 10 times in a year.
According to a NIAID study (see link) using a condom reduces the risk of HIV transmission by a factor of about seven. I have seen other estimates as high as 20. Let's assume a condom reduces risk by a factor of 10.
If our high-volume provider is using condoms (isn't everyone?) then her risk in having 1000 dates with men with unknown HIV status is equivalent to having unprotected sex once with a man who is known to be HIV positive.
You would do better to be more worried about the HIV status of the provider's boyfriend or husband if she has one. She is probably having unprotected sex with him a lot more than once a year.
Don't forget that HIV is an EXTREMELY difficult disease to transmit. The following three paragraphs are quoted from the link.
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COUPLES STUDY IN HAITI SHOWS REDUCTION IN HETROSEXUAL HIV TRANSMISSION
A study in Haiti of "discordant" hetrosexual couples -- those in which one partner is HIV-infected and the other uninfected -- found that almost half of sexually active couples receiving counseling and free condoms adoped safe sex practices (either abstinence or consistent condom use), according to investigators supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The rate of new HIV infections among couples who consistently used condoms was one-seventh as high as those who did not.
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The investigators observed a seroconversion rate of 1.0 per 100 person years for couples who always used a condom, and 6.8 per 100 person years for couples who used condoms irregularly or not at all. The seroconversion rates were similar between couples who never used condoms and those who used them irregularly, underscoring the importance of consistent, correct condom use. The female-to-male rate of HIV transmission was 7.6 per 100 person years; the rate of male-to-female transmission was 4.8 per 100 person years.
The investigators confirmed previous reports that other sexually transmitted deseases significantly increase a person's risk of becoming infected with HIV. Gential ulcer diseases, syphilis, and vaginal or penile discharge in the HIV-negative partner, and syphilis in the HIV-infected partner each increased the risk of HIV transmission.
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In other words, if you have sex for a year with a regular partner who is HIV positive and don't use any protection you stand about a 7% chance of becoming HIV positive yourself.
Athough it is obvious that the risk of getting HIV increases with the number of times you have sex with an infected partner it seems to me that having protected (safer, but not safe) sex with a large number of partners with unknown HIV sex is minor league risk compared to having regular unprotected sex with a single infected partner.
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Here's a useful link: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/releases/haitihiv.htm
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-- Modified on 7/12/2002 7:32:50 AM
-- Modified on 7/12/2002 7:43:31 AM
