Std paranoia both client and SP

[Shadz 1170]

Not sure if there is a previous post apologies if in reposting an old thread.

 

In all respect to both but do any of the clients or SP get the fear of uncertainty when meeting for the first time?

 

How to stay safe aside from condom use and confidently kissing?

 

I have only had a few meets as a client and obviously my health comes first as is my hygiene.

[GoinDown 3669]

It's always good to keep in mind that there's no sti your dick can get that your mouth can't.

[Shadz 1170]

Haha that's what concerns me

[GoinDown 3669]

Yep ! DFK can be as risky as other unprotected activities.

[Phaedrus 209521]

Yep ! DFK can be as risky as other unprotected activities.

You should really do a little more basic research.

[Regent 35404]

Yep ! DFK can be as risky as other unprotected activities.

 

This is straight up wrong - kissing is low risk to no risk for most STIs.

 

I think it's really important as both clients and service providers to accept that all activities come with some risk, and while we can do a lot to reduce and mitigate those risks, if we want to do fun things the possibility of negative consequences will exist.

 

When it comes to STIs, it's up to each individual to decide what their personal risk tolerance is - there's no one right answer and it'll vary from person to person. Part of figuring out what activities fit into your risk tolerance is having a really clear idea of what risk factors are, how transmission works, how effective different methods of protection are and so on. There's a lot of misinformation out there, and even health care providers and sexual health educators struggle with finding ways to communicate risk in a way that people can conceptualize and position within the broader range of risks that we accept as part of life. Also, if you haven't taken a stats class, understanding the epidemiology numbers and statistics can be really challenging and counter intuitive.

 

http://www.uptodate.com/ is a solid resource on STIs. They have a range of free patient articles, but if you want to really dig deep into these topics, buying a subscription is money well spent (these articles are written for medial professionals, so very in depth and nuanced.)

 

Some things you can do to reduce your risk and ensure your health, though not all of these will make sense for all people:

 

- Take care of your overall health - eat well, be active, get enough sleep, treat any health issues that come up. Inflammation increases your risk of acquiring HIV, for example.

 

- Get screened for STIs on a regular basis - most of them are curable, all of them are treatable, so if you do get one (not the end of the world, very very common), being able to treat it early will result in better health outcomes.

 

- Get vaccinated for HPV (Gardasil) and hepatitis A & B (Twinrix). These vaccines are usually expensive but may be available free through sexual health clinics.

 

- Get on PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Very effective, but very expensive, so really only suitable for people with a high risk.

 

- Don't play while intoxicated or when your judgement is otherwise impaired.

 

- Make sure you're using condoms that fit you properly, to reduce slippage or breakage. They are not one-size fits all, and should fit snugly at the base without pinching. Check the expiry date on your condoms, and make sure it hasn't been damaged (there's a pocket of air in the package if it's unopen.)

 

- Use a female/internal condom instead of a male/external condom - they cover a lot more surface area and reduce skin-to-skin contact (which is a transmission risk for HPV, herpes and syphilis.)

 

- Use condoms and dams for oral sex (though I think most people would rather skip oral than use a dam - they can be a little awkward and unsexy, particularly if you're not used to them.)

 

- Use gloves.

 

- Use lube, but avoid ones that might cause irritation (flavoured, cooling, warming.) There's some research to suggest that carrageenan lubes may be effective in reducing transmission of HPV and HSV (but not enough clinical evidence to suggest you rely on them at all.)

 

- Pay attention for signs of STIs - unpleasant smelling discharge, blisters, lesions, etc. Many STIs have no visible symptoms, but some do. (But also be aware that some STI symptoms can look very similar to shaving irritation or other things which are completely non-contagious.)

 

- Avoid brushing your teeth, flossing, eating sharp foods or other things that could cause small tears in your mouth for an hour before and after oral sex. Mouthwash is fine.

 

- Wash with soap and water before and after sex (don't scrub and irritate your skin.)

 

- Avoid irritating your skin (eg shaving) right before skin-to-skin contact.

 

- Don't share sex toys, particularly ones that are porous and can't be sterilized (rubber, cyberskin etc). If you do share sex toys, either put a fresh condom on them when switching people, or properly clean (bleach or boiling) non-porous toys between people (silicone, glass, metal, ceramic, some stone and wood toys.)

 

- Stick to lower risk activities - BDSM, hand stuff, covered oral etc.

[Shadz 1170]

You should really do a little more basic research.

 

what do you mean by this? curious if im missing something?

[Guest st*****ens**ors]

what do you mean by this? curious if im missing something?

 

Read Regent's post. She covers it well, and addresses the misconception that dfk is "just as risky" as any other activity.

[Meaghan McLeod 179664]

here is another link. https://smartsexresource.com/about-stis/know-your-chances-0

[Phaedrus 209521]

what do you mean by this? curious if im missing something?

It's a response to something objectively wrong. Fortunately, Regent put in the effort to do the hand-holding and explanation that I didn't have the energy for at the time, so now I don't have to :)

[GoinDown 3669]

ok nothing to see here ! lol.

Colds cold sores flus and strep throat can be for another thread ;)

[Guest discr33t]

ok nothing to see here ! lol.

Colds cold sores flus and strep throat can be for another thread ;)

 

so far been lucky, my dick has never got the flu or a cold, knock on woody!