Two of the least favorite topics in this hobby are screening (or LE prevention, if you will), and STD's  - both put a real damper on the whole Hobbying scene..

And as much as we are at at risk, and take different levels of risk, we are all pretty much ASSUMING things about each other. We don't normally like to ASSUME things in the other, everyday course of life - do we? - but we do here, largely because what else can you do?
So, let's talk about what, on average, are the practices of the Hobbyists? The Providers? What do you assume we do? What do we assume you do?

Here's what I do, for ME:
I see my doctor every six months for STD screening. I have an HMO, so I'm aware that my STD screening, even WHEN I ask for the gamut - only gives Syphillis, Gonorrhea, Clamydia, and HIV. It does NOT check for Herpes, or HPV. I have tested every six months EVEN when I was celibate for THREE YEARS! I do my usual Pap, etc yearly, unless I have a question or concern, and in the last year, have probably been in there three times - once for a bladder infection (my first! believe it or not), once for an 'irritation' which turned out to be a reaction to the latex, and another time for a rash around my mouth which had me the most freaked out. So as not to repeat too much of what I've said before in other threads, I was going so frequently that my doctor asked if there was something he should know about, that I might want to talk about with him..that was unsettling..
I keep an eye out for things, because, unlike men - we ladies don't get symptoms, and so things can go undetected. My SO is a clean freak who gets very weirded out with the slightest anything, so he also keeps vigilant watch, and does 'inspect' me down there..

I've read in a book written by a provider, that she inspected every penis, every scrotum, and every ass before she ever even 'went' there. She did the same inspection a doctor or nurse would. Although I greatly admire and respect her for doing that, I doubt that any of us out there do. Correct me if I'm wrong. I just can't see myself saying "OK, arms out to the side, spread 'em. Ok, bend over, spread 'em" LOL. I'm really trusting you guys to take care of that..

Here's what I'm assuming YOU men do:
I'm assuming that you get STD tested every six months, whether you think you need to or not. I'm assuming you enter it into your Outlook or other Calendar program, or your PDA's. I'm assuming that your know exactly what they tested you for, and what they did NOT test for. I'm assuming you look in the mirror, or hold a mirror under your penis, or have your SO or ATF Provider take a closer look for things such as bumps, moley - wart looking things, rashes, breaks in skin, or anything else out of the ordinary. I'm assuming you see a doctor regularly for any 'man' things and feel free to call him/her with any questions or concerns. I'm assuming you use a condom ALWAYS with all your intimate contacts, except your wives and SO's. I'm assuming if there were deviations from the above, that you would inform ME, so I could make an educated decision with those facts.

Said in the Joan Rivers intonation: "Can we talk??"

Thanks,
Sedona

I do the same.  My yearly Pap and every six month testing.  I had the same experience with my gyn for when I first started paranoya abounded.  I saw him for every little inconsistency to the point that he asked me the same question.  I told him, being married practically my whole life, I didn't worry, but now that I am single, I am having the time of my life and am just quite paranoid.  He educated me on testing.  Keep the condomn on until it get serious enough to be a commitment.

I had a rash and bleeding gums I swore was an STD,  turns out it was an allerigic reaction to the spermicide on the condomns. So I switched and no rashes since.

Where greek is concerned, always wear a condomn, even with the SO.  My gyn told me a story of a couple that did just that and even though he never entered her vaginally, bacteria ended up getting into her somehow.  She was in the hospital for two weeks, three of those days in critical condition because of the infection it caused.

A great deal of education has come from my gyn because I am now so sexually active.  Tests do not mean a thing and a poster on my thread below said it so eloquently. It is nothing more than a snap shot of that particular time and date.  I don't care what anyone else says.  There is so much misinformation out there and the only way to get it is from the horses mouth.  So, I tend to follow the guidelines of my gyn.

Lauren

Lauren

Your assumption is essentially correct.

I get tested every six months and have a good idea what I am being tested for and what I'm not being tested for. I must confess that the first time I was tested it was a bit of a blur - "We're going to test for this, this and this, but not that."

I have started asking providers about their testing protocols (thanks to a provider who once commented to me that she was suprised clients hardly ever ask.) So I don't assume.

Condom use - yes, with the exception of oral sex with those providers who do so uncovered.

Thanks for asking, Sedona.

I see my doctor and he does blood work every 90 days, for other medical conditions.  As a regular standing order, he runs an STD screen as part of that lab work.  I guess I've been fortunate that I've had no worries in that department.  

A close friend of mine here in NY, who is also a provider was the one who convinced me to be tested regularly.  The reason I bring this up is that your post implies that your OB/GYN does not know about your "involvement" in this hobby (as my physician does not as well).  What he does know is that I am very sexually active, as he writes the prescription for my Vitamin V (needed because of other meds I take), and he knows how frequently I renew the Rx.

I bring this up because my friend/provider (note the order, friend first) told me that her MD knows about her work, and has not made any value judgements other than to see her more frequently, and perhaps counsel her a bit more vigorously than other patients.  This post peaked my curiosity as to how many providers out there have confided in their docs, and if makes a difference.

Actually, when i got into this hobby about a year ago i had a doctors appointment about the same time, so i told him about my new "hobby" and asked what he suggested.
  He said he'd like to see test at 6 month intervals minimum, but i actually feel better going quarterly. Since i don't get out very often, that turns out to be just about one test per "date".
  He discussed all the things he felt i should be tested for and explained what they all are to me,and we had the basic Q&A sesion, adding a few things until we were both comfortable with it. But i have to admit, when i got the very first results, i couldn't figure out what half the stuff on the page was. So i went to see him again and he make alot of notations on it in english as opposed to doctorish. I kept that one so i can translate when i look at the others. My memory is real good, but kinda short, if you know what i mean.
   

-- Modified on 6/23/2003 7:22:47 PM

a good idea to test for all the pathogens you can be tested for.

PCR test is the gold standard for HIV. Costs a lot more, but ultra reliable.

Trust no one, expect nothing.

Unless I knew someone personally to be monogamous, I would look at everyone as a potential carrier and protect myself according.  You don't know what kind of contacts they have had since their last tests and with who.  I know one of the providers I like is more active socially than professionally so I worry more about her friends than her clients since she is expensive enough that she decreases the pool of clients she is exposed to.

One way to test frequently for free is to donate blood since they really go through donated blood with a fine tooth comb so you can rest assured you don't have anything that is transmitted through the blood system and you help someone else out too.

And where are those field test reports?

At the risk of getting some spam, six months does not seem like enough testing. Porn stars are required to get tested at least once per month. Okay, so the hobby is a lot safer than porn. And perhaps with a safer group of people. But who would want to risk carrying or spreading something for that long. Three months seems much more appropriate as a minimum. Depending, of course, on what one does covered and uncovered.

Well, I've always been told that any sooner than six months is a waste of time and money, but that may be 'old' information as information these days is everchanging..
I will have to look into that and change accordingly, if that's the case..
Thanks!

Some time ago (I don't remember how many months ago), I posted within a thread about being honest with your doctor (you know me about being honest) and the general consensus was NOT to tell. There were suggestions of special clinics or facilities specifically for the "industry", which I greatly appreciated, but none that were near here (San Diego), and certainly none that were very affordable. So, I elected not to tell them, but they do keep asking, so I'm wondering if they have suspicions.
I also wonder whether Doctors (particularly male??) are more accepting of the men 'hobbying', than they are of women?? I can say that it certainly 'feels' that way.
Heck, if I could, I'd be honest with the Doc; my family, and imagine being interviewed by Baba WaWa about the hobby and LE's interference, and the need for Law change!
But, I guess one thing at a time..oh! which brings me to a new topic..

Thanks, luv..

I thought they worked through a fairly limited community of known individuals whereas in the hobby, we tend to travel, see a lot of people on a one time basis and therefore are exposed not only to the people we see but the people they see and so on and so forth.  particularly for oral herpes, venereal warts, and scabies.

I don't know for sure and there is probably no way of finding out but I think the hobby being safer than porn is a bad assumption.

if so, didn't want to jump the gun without a large enough sample size... takes a while but I think I have a good idea.

Maybe your doctor would like to trade medical services for a little playtime.
He could be asking in a very discrete manner.

My understanding of Herpes is that unless you are having an outbreak, a test will not pickup whether you have it.  

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/62/71805.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}

-Hoot.

In NY, you are specifically asked not to donate blood if you are "in the hobby" -- until at least one year has passed since your last transaction.  If you are on the provider end, the rules may be different -- I don't recall.

Anyhow, this doesn't sound like a good protocol.  If something slips through and you infect someone...


-Hoot.

Donating blood if done as a substitute for the usual testing isn't a good idea.  I know many places will not accept your donation if you engage in the hobby.  You may even be required to fill out & sign a form which contains that specific question  question.  I can't say every place has that policy, but the Red Cross certainly does & that prevented me from donating after 9/11 when the need was great for a while.

Yes they do certainly run tests & will advise you if anything is found.  And I'm certainly not one who has great medical knowledge, but my common sense tells me they apparently must feel their screening is something less than an absolute 100% guarantee of safety & that people involved in certain activities (the hobby included)pose a greater risk than others. Otherwise they'd likely have all the blood supply ever needed by dropping that policy.  Sure, we could always lie about it but that's certainly not something I would do.  I'll pay my money for private screening done only for that purpose..it amounts to a pittance of the hobby expendatures.

Imagine you get tested regularly and the doc says one you have HIV or herpes (one of the incurable ones). What now? After you process the initial devestating news, Obviously you want to do the right thing and notify the people you've been with recently. But can you do anything fir yourself if these deadly diseases are detected early???

If you were to test positive, you are really talking about two different things, ie. Herpes is not fatal while HIV (HIV is the virus, AIDS is the disease) at this stage of the game is.  For HIV there are drugs to retard the virus and some people have lived amazingly long compared to when the disease was first identified.  Early detection and treatment is really helpful.

For herpes I think there are some medications to retard and alleviate symptoms.  The main problem with it is you don't wantr to spread it so it pretty much curtails alot of sexual behavior as well as something as simple as kissng someone on the lips.