How's your knowledge on STIs?

[Guest lydiahardwood]

@Kitten and I have been doing some talking on Twitter about how many misconceptions and misinformation there is out there about STIs.

For example, I only found out recently that HPV affects sooo many people. Did you know that 80% of women are likely to have a form of HPV at least once in their lives?! 

Here are some other things I have learnt:

• The most common STI symptom is no symptom at all
• The most common STI worldwide is HPV, followed by Chlamydia
• Women who have sex with women are more likely to spread infections if they are both menstruating
• You can get chlamydia in your eye

It's got me thinking a couple of things:

- How often do you guys get tested? I imagine Providers are some of the most safe, regularly tested people out there

- What myths have you heard about STIs?

Let's discuss! 

[Everleigh May 361]

I get tested every 2 to 3 months.

The most messed up myth I've heard is you can clear a STI with apple cider vinegar in your bath water ☠️☠️☠️  this of course is not true . 

Ps apple cider vinegar can be great in ur bathwater to stop yeast and such but not STIs 

[Guest lydiahardwood]

Just now, Everleigh May said:

The most messed up myth I've heard is you can clear a STI with apple cider vinegar in your bath water ☠️☠️☠️  this of course is not true

I swear we could have a whole thread on apple cider vinegar myths alone 😂

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, lydiahardwood said:

I swear we could have a whole thread on apple cider vinegar myths alone 😂

   It's actually effective to prevent/dissolve kidney stones. But for STI's, likely not so much...

[Guest]

  But in all seriousness, basic protection, soap and mouthwash are far more effective than most home remedies.

[NotchJohnson 214123]

I used to get tested every 3-4 months when I was very active but since the last year I have only seen 2 ladies that I trust and they both said that they get tested regularly and have nothing.  I know before you go and say that they get tested but what about myself.  I'm not sure that the test sites are open and if they are I fear of Covid in there.   When visiting both ladies we took our precaution for covid and thus reducing the sexual act we did.

Never heard anything about apple cider for STI I did hear about black seeds for STI though but no proof and I never got any STI myself in the last 12 years + doing this lifestyle or ever.

[Phaedrus 209521]

I think the most common misconceptions are "I'll be fine!" and its close relative "It hasn't happened to me yet, so it never will". And also that certain things are completely safe.

It's not possible to remain completely safe without being completely celibate. It's all about reducing the risk to acceptable levels.

[Kitten 1281]

When I am in this line of work I tend to get tested quarterly myself.

Anytime I even have a slight worry I will go get a swab.

I first started this line of work when I was in my teens and back then thankfully sexual education was pretty apparent in most places. I only worked for a few years and always made sure protection was used. I do remember there being quite a bit of a scare with AIDS and condom use picked up incredibly. These days you barely hear the word much at all. When we talked about and study things we stand a better chance of managing or eradicating them.

Education is key!

It's incredibly important to not know how just to protect yourself but also how the viruses and diseases can be transmitted from one person to another. What the sign and symptoms are for each and every threat out there to you.

Know outbreaks come with a very large risk. It's important to inspect the person you are servicing and vice versa. Inspect those servicing you as well. It's not just about our sexual organs but also just as much about the hands and lips as well. You can do this without making them feel awkward and sometimes without them even noticing at all! Never be afraid to say no or ask any questions. Hands down the best protection you can give yourself.

Crowd control is another tactic I like to use. The more clients you see the higher risk of contraction. Find A Few Good Men who know how to spoil you right and treat them the same.

For most of my life I have had a career but when I need a break, or a little fun, this is where I cum bounce back to myself a little more.

I have been doing this work again for almost 3 years now I think and I can proudly say that I have done so with no threats besides and a UTI or BV from time to time. I have always been aware that there are risks and always ready to be accountable and own anything that could threaten myself or those I offer services to. 

 

[Guest lydiahardwood]

6 hours ago, Kitten said:

I have been doing this work again for almost 3 years now I think and I can proudly say that I have done so with no threats besides and a UTI or BV from time to time. I have always been aware that there are risks and always ready to be accountable and own anything that could threaten myself or those I offer services to. 

 

Great to see someone talking about UTIs and BV - I didn't learn about either of these things until a couple of years ago.

[Kitten 1281]

We have beautiful systems that are quite capable of healing and protecting themselves ( when taking care of properly) but we need to be aware of when we're pushing that limit.

It's always a good idea to wash hands and other parts, not just in the time of pandemic but before play if digits care to explore that area at all.

Always use condoms during penetration. 

Doesn't matter if they haven't been with anyone for a while, or if they promise everything is okay. Do what you know is best to protect yourself and that is wrapping it always!

Be cautious with those who want to go from front to back ass that is a recipe for disaster. I always refuse providing that.

The more room we give biological risks room to grow, the stronger they become and learn how to defeat us. Not taking care in these areas also means more antibiotic use. Another thing slowly becoming weaker for humanity. 

Yeast is another infection worth mentioning that needs to be considered and taken care of. The effects might be minimal for men however if pushed too far for women can become incredibly dangerous.

 

Always be cautious your body no matter what parts it contains, or are converting to.

Our lives are precious and the health of every one of them matters.

 

I would rant on about STIs and STDs but feel there is a plethora of good information out there already.

When I get a little time between final projects later I will find a few good sources to pop up here for everyone.

[Phaedrus 209521]

8 hours ago, Kitten said:

I would rant on about STIs and STDs but feel there is a plethora of good information out there already.

One of the issues here is that I think most people know as much about this as they want to. The information is there, but if people wish to put their heads in the sand it will never do them any good.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Phaedrus said:

One of the issues here is that I think most people know as much about this as they want to. The information is there, but if people wish to put their heads in the sand it will never do them any good.

  It's an unpleasant topic mixed with a lot of misinformation. I remember the mid to late 80's when HIV/AIDS was considered the deadliest thing on the planet after the death of Rock Hudson and Freddie Mercury. Was a lot of myth about transmission methods. Took Princess Diana to help break myths and stigmas. But not long after, the Magic Johnson diagnosis and some medical breakthrough gave the impression HIV and other STI's are treatable when only to a certain extent. Can also throw religions and hypocrisy in the mix as a reason to ignore common sense.

  Can't constantly keep people on their toes. Sometimes need an occasional scare to remind the reality.

    

[Phaedrus 209521]

14 hours ago, Greenteal said:

  It's an unpleasant topic mixed with a lot of misinformation. I remember the mid to late 80's when HIV/AIDS was considered the deadliest thing on the planet after the death of Rock Hudson and Freddie Mercury. Was a lot of myth about transmission methods. Took Princess Diana to help break myths and stigmas. But not long after, the Magic Johnson diagnosis and some medical breakthrough gave the impression HIV and other STI's are treatable when only to a certain extent. Can also throw religions and hypocrisy in the mix as a reason to ignore common sense.   

To some extent, that just reflects the normal progress of any new disease. To start with we know nothing about it, and we gradually learn how it's spread, and what the risks are, and how to treat it.... but in the meantime, yes, you get a lot of stuff that's just wrong, and this is how you get the "you can catch AIDS from toilet seats" stuff. This is also inevitable, because the way science works is by creating a theory about how things happen and then attempting to disprove it - but most people simply don't understand that, and when they see this normal process of scientists being wrong sometimes and correcting themselves as they find out more, they interpret it as inconsistency, or scientists being clueless, or 'all the experts are wrong so why bother with them'.

We've seen this process at warp speed over the last year. Remember last spring? Everyone was obsessively washing their purchases because we thought that Covid might be transferred via surfaces; it can be, but we now know that's very rare. We were told not to wear masks by some folks; the theory there was that the home-made cloth masks everyone had back then weren't virus-proof, and so it's better to get people to stay home rather than give them a false sense of security). Again, we now know better, but those early instructions still generate a whole lot of bad-faith attacks from people who are just trying to discredit political opponents by any means necessary.

Of course, as you note, the situation with HIV was far worse because the people who really got hit hard by it were folks who were abhorred by more self-righteous segments of society, and so there was this horrible attitude of "if you get HIV you probably deserved it for your immoral lifestyle". And, of course, the same people who believe that are deliberately playing up the myths about how you catch it, because they want to scare their own communities out of that same immoral lifestyle. Covid, at least, doesn't have that - although the disinformation machine is far more effective these days, and even wearing a mask is political in some places now.

[Kitten 1281]

This gentleman is exactly where the conversation needed to go and appreciate your insight and feedback.

There is a lot of misinformation and scare tactics behind STIs/STDs and the spread as far as I'm concerned. I have been doing this off and on for most of my life and with the education and awareness I feel that was apparent through the 90s due to the reasons mentioned by @Greenteal. It gave me what I needed to keep myself safe while engaging in this line of work.

The best advice that can be given to anyone working or taking part in this industry. Is to make sure you understand your risks and educate how you can protect yourself against them.

In respect to @Phaedrus comment I won't rush to provide a few links but would like to suggest that when digging or researching your information to be sure to think critically and seek unbiased and credible sources.

[waterat 20911]

On 4/8/2021 at 7:34 PM, Phaedrus said:

It's not possible to remain completely safe without being completely celibate.

"If you stay celibate

It's like hell a bit.

If you mind the pope and never ball

You're robbing Peter to pay Paul"

...... if memory serves, I should be crediting Ernest Buckler; but I'll leave it to the NS members here to correct me.

[Phaedrus 209521]

@Kitten Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't post links - more access to information is always good!

[Kitten 1281]

I appreciate the reminder to do so!

It's honestly slipped my mind a bit but I have more free time now and just might do that 💋

[Guest]

There’s some lovely thoughts here on this thread! Being safe at all times is so important. And ensuring you’re using the right products with contraception ensures safety even more. NO oil around condoms they’re more likely to pop. No sharing condoms during duos. Making sure you inspect the genital area before making skin on skin contact ( I make it look sexy 🤣) showering before and after sexy times as well as peeing! Sexual safety is really a never ending book especially as science improves. 
 

MEN also make sure for the love of god you’re brushing your teeth, washing hands , trimming finger nails, man scaping , and regularly washing your penis. Lots of yeast infections and BV have been given from bacteria on the mans body