I share other posters' displeasure with the prejudice shown towards TS providers and TS hobbyists on the other TER discussion boards.  But to the extent that the prejudice is based on fear of disease it shouldnt be dismissed out of hand.  Statistics have been discussed on this board which suggest that the incidence of HIV infection may be significantly higher among TS providers than GG providers.  Even if those statistics are misleading, everything I have learned about HIV over the years suggests to me that genetically male providers would be more prone to HIV than GG providers.  I am obviously not the only one concerned.  Just look at recent postings:  The regrets over a TS provider's passing contain questions about the cause of her death.  Another thread deals delicately with whether a well-known provider is "working sick," and suggests that the issue be handled backchannel.  

Guys, this is serious sh*t, and the answer isnt to put our heads in the sand or just and say that everything has risk.  If I'm having sex with a GG provider and the condom breaks, that's not such a big deal -- the risk of a man being infected with HIV infection from a single act of unprotected intercourse with a woman who has HIV is very small.  But can the same be said of the risks to a hobbyist of a broken condom while he is being topped by a TS provider?

In furtherance of what I would like to be a useful and meaningful discussion, let me pose a few questions:

1.  What should "safe sex" mean for TS hobbyists?  Should everything (including oral sex performed on or by the provider) be covered?

2.  Is there any practical way to get an assurance from a TS provider that she is not "working sick"?  I assume most TS providers would be offended by and/or refuse to answer the question.  

3.  Similar to 2, has anyone ever heard of providers getting reliably tested (eg AIM) and then sharing the results with hobbyists?  (And how would you get around the problem that the results would have to show the provider's actual name?).

4.  Are there other ways in which a TS hobbyist can try to assess the risk that a TS provider has an STD or, worse, is HIV-infected?          

5.  If a hobbyist has info regarding the health of a TS provider, is it "ethical" (in the TER and hobby sense) for that info to be discussed backchannel?  If that ever happened on the other TER boards, there would be a firestorm of controversy.  But I'm not sure the same standard should apply here.

Thanks everyone, and take care.  TSAG.

The fear of disease infection from TS providers is no different than the fear of disease infection from GG providers.  You can quote statistics if you like showing a higher incident of HIV infection amongst TS's all you want, but in the end the only 2 disease statistic participants matter:  you and the provider.

Although you may want to label the issue 'sticking your head in the sand', on some level you need to do this.  You are unable to track the disease state of a provider.  It is not a fact that tops get infected at lower incidences than bottoms.  

1)  'Safe Sex' in a misnomer.  The only safe sex is abstinence.   You are better served thinking in terms of 'Percentage of Safety' and determining truthfully what you are willing to risk for a piece of ass.

2)  There is no practical way to get assurance that your provider is not sick excepting obvious physical signs:  lesions, rashes, vomitting, etc.  Even if you determine a disease state present you cannot deterrmine the pathological nature of the disease.  I refer you back to answer #1.

3)  I knew one girl who claimed to get tested every three months, though I never asked for the evidence.  She claimed she had it available for concerned customers.

4)  See item #1.

5)  I don't see it as unethical to keep fellow hobbyists informed about a provider's possible disease state.

if you are 100% sure of a provider being sick you HAVE to share that info!but spreading rumors is not the thing to do,we are watching each others backs here, sharing info is very very important, thank god the info i got in a private email was a false alarm.

Agreed that sticking one's head in the sand does nobody any good. I'd counter with the question of whether fretting over the dangers of the hobby does any good either.

We all understand the risks. We are all hopefully adults. Given those two assumptions my contention is I take far more risk when I get behind the wheel of a car than I do in the hobby.

Here is what I mean. I protect myself by making sure I'm covered. I use TER to make sure the lady I am seeing is not LE. I rely on references from other hobbiests to weed out the bad apples.

The only sure fire method of eliminating risk is to not participate in the game at all. And what fun is that.

I think it is healthy to discuss such important matters. However, I would not dwell on the matter too long. It is equally unhealthy to stress over matters which are out of one's control.

Just my two cents.

Well I am very interested in TG's but would never venture forth and have an experience with a TS provider based on the link I have provided for you.  TS Cindy in the personals ad on PositiveSingles.com is also advertising on Eros as a provider in Dallas named TS Tracie.  

I am not HIV myself but unfortunately have herpes so I have been a member of the site for awhile.  This TG lists herself as living with HIV in her personal ad and still acts as an escort.  She also has some fairly recent reviews on Shemaleescortreview.com which could be a bad thing for those who reviewed her.....

I am not active in this community but do read this boards often and thought I should post this after reading this discussion.  Hopefully someone can pass this info to those who could use it.

I saw a similar event on the LA Craigslist.  A ts sex worker had 2 ads.  One for erotic sessions, and another ad looking for a boyfriend who like herself, had hiv.  That same ts has a running ad on eros.  And it's not KD (who has a bf ad in the personal section too)....KD is probably the safest bet around.  A session with her includes a 20 minute lecture on safety.

Phone number search (MS area code - from Eros ad) reveals that TS Cindy/Traci also has a TER Profile - see link below.  Eight reviews in total - most recent from May-06 dating back to Jul-03...

"However, I would not dwell on the matter too long. It is equally unhealthy to stress over matters which are out of one's control."

--> I agree about not stressing, but sharing our feeling and thoughts (at least, for me) helps to not feel so isolated in terms of these concerns.  It's not the kind of hobby that I can talk to my buddies about...

"      

5.  If a hobbyist has info regarding the health of a TS provider, is it "ethical" (in the TER and hobby sense) for that info to be discussed backchannel?  If that ever happened on the other TER boards, there would be a firestorm of controversy.  But I'm not sure the same standard should apply here."

There was a discussion about this in HA also couple days ago.  This one really baffles me.  I am not sure I know the answer.  I would like to know, for sure, but I don't know what is the ethically right course of action.