Swingers on Swingular - Swingers Forum - Utah has seen a 195% increase in STD's

KSL news article: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=1072830

NOW is the time to get tested and stay tested. All the Utah health departments are offering FREE testing to try to get this epidemic under control. Utah is the highest in the nation for STD's right now. They are hard to detect. You can have them and not know. This is why they spread so easily. I'm not sure why this subject keeps getting ignored. WHY is there not more discussion about this??. Does everyone feel if we don't talk about it that it just goes away???? How many of you are getting tested regularly? And what about your partners....are you talking to them about testing?? Anyone who has multiple partners should be tested every 3 months or less. PLEASE if you have questions on what you need to be tested for contact me. I'd be glad to help or answer anything I can.

Davis County is the cheapest place I've found for testing. The cost goes on a sliding scale of your income. And they do accept medical insurance. I've done research.
This is what you need to be tested for:
Hepetitus A B & C
Herpes blood test
Pap smear for women
Chlamydia
Gonnorhea
Syphilis
HIV
The department is open Mon-Fri 9-5 and you DO need to make an
appointment. 801-450-3373

Everyone knows that you can still catch something after you have been tested. I think the point that is trying to be made here is that the rate is way up so you NEED to be tested.

so after i show you proof of safeness, can we have a sleepover sexyidcpl?

RECON--- send us an email or look us up on yahoo. I won't make you prove it, I'll take your word for it:z

for those in ut they have the link on the website posted for the free testing from april 16-20 if anyone is interested

It seems to me that Tequila Rose must have a doctrate degree in every subject that there is because he always has a long and lengthy reply to everything that is being discussed. I was just wondering what university he went to? I have a doctrate myself, but do not ever find it necessary to give such long, drawn out answers.

We are in a high risk lifestyle....that is true. But there are ways to be safer. If you always and only play with people who are tested...then you drastically reduce your risk. Tequilarose states that the next day you play and you are then exposed. Well...you are right...unless that person is also tested...and the people they play with are also tested. See....if we create a place where no one will ever play with anyone without current paperwork(proof of recent testing in hand) Then we are going to make a much safer place for everyone. Yes I know....it takes away some of the spontinaety because...omg...you have to actually ask a question before you fuck....Can you imagine? I know tequilarose...you say...JUST TAKE A PILL. Well that is bullshit. Are you not aware of what having chlamydia does to women??? Most women get pelvic inflamitory disease from it. That never goes away...and it is painful. But I guess that doesn't matter...because its just women that get that. Men can just take a pill. Every single STD out there...has lasting side effects. Don't kid yourself if you think you can play and just take a pill and never have to think about it again. YOU are giving yourself a false sense of security. Get tested and make sure all your partners are....thats the only way to stay safe. And even that is not going to be 100% we are still in a very high risk lifestyle. Knowing your partners WELL....is always good too.

Condoms do not protect you from everything...They do not protect you from Herpes or Genital warts(which there are no pills for). And relying on a condoms means,,,, that the minute you walk into the room...before you touch...you have to put the condom on. And how often does that happen?? No oral...Or touching of parts?? How often do condoms break? Has anyone here NOT had a condom break? Then you are totally screwed....Exposed...to whatever your NON tested parter has.

No one here is dissing anyone...This is called a discussion. One person has one opinion another person has another. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants their information to be put out there. Lets Talk!!!

The following was written by a physician on a now defunct swinger site. At the time, 2003, this was about as tru as it can be but now some facts may have changed a bit. She gave permission to repost this as one felt was appropriate.

As for STD tests some are quite accurate and some take time. If one has been exposed to some of the STD's around and they were tested just before exposure or just after exposure they may be given a clean bill of health and you may, if not careful, catch the undisclosed, undiagnosed STD.

I may have posted this before and if you have read it before ...maybe reading it again will not cause you hardship. So here goes....

Posted by Dr in 2003 on a now defunct site.. Author's name withheld per request.

POST:

Wow this is a heated conversation. First, I'm a physician. Second, I am a member of the American Association of HIV Medicine. Third, I swing. Fourth, see the CDC site for all sorts of the stats. Fifth, for the attorneys out there, this information is provided informally and is not intended to be a guide on which readers are to base decisions.

BI-MALES: it all depends on your sexual activity. Men who ONLY engage in oral activity with other men are probably no worse off than women who do peform oral on men. UNLESS, you engage in rough deeply insertive oral sex and are the reciever. New stats show that if the insertive partner is HIV+ you have a good chance of becoming infected when engaging in rough oral sex. That stat goes up if you are altered [drugs/etoh]. This oral stat goes for women too. If you are a Bi-male and engage in any type of insertive activity then you fall into the category of MSM [men having sex with men] and the stats show that those individuals, especially men who are anally receptive, historically have the highest risk for contracting HIV. So should there be a seperate category for oral Bi-males and full Bi-males? [Nothing personal just stating the facts]

The biggest STD is still chlamydia [it can infect the throat and be passed oral-genital but genital-genital is by far the most common]. So if your throat is sore - don't engage in activity; its probably not but could be Chlamydia but do you want to make others sick?
Depending on who you talk to then comes Herpes, Gonorrhea, Genital Warts and Syphilis [which is making a come back of sorts]:

HERPES - from cold sores on your mouth to the genital lesions. Both can infect you in either place. So if you feel the tingle of a cold sore don't play. You are shedding virus and WILL infect someone. In fact, approximately, 15% of those with recurrent cold sores/genital lesions not medications will shed infectious virus even though they feel or see no evidence of an imminent outbreak. There are meds on the market that stop/decrease outbreaks and decrease viral shedding . . . please take them. Condoms, Courtesy,

GONORRHEA - again, mostly genital to genital spread but can infect throats and be spread that way too. Condoms/Dental Dams

GENITAL WARTS - caused by a virus. The wart/lesion can be removed. Once removed and area healed no further transmission risk. I've seen these occur on fingers too and that be a mode of transmission. Condoms. Awareness.

SYPHILLIS - remember that odd ulcer/sore on or near your penis/vagina that didn't hurt and healed up after a few days? Well, that was Syphillis!!! And just b/c the sore went away doesn't mean you still don't have it and are capable of passing it on. Go directly to your local STD clinic or Pvt MD. Condoms.

HIV - you still need to be pretty damn unlucky to catch it or you engage in risky behaviour [IVDU, MSM, Bi-Males > heterosex, lesbian, bi-females]. Those are the stats and if you don't like them then change your behaviour to a less risky group or abstain. Remember, IVDU includes members of all those other groups who "use" which is one way the virus "moves" between groups. One word - don't ever brush your teeth vigorously, let alone floss before swinging - the micro cuts in your gums are perfect entry ways into your body for infection. Gargle with Listerine and chew tartar control cum. Also, don't shave your genitalia that same day for the same reason . . . micro cuts . . . shave at least the day before. Also, LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON SO YOU CAN SEE. This isn't a physical exam but definitely visually inspect your partner[s] as the play progresses to become more intimate.

HEPATITIS - Hep A and B are far more common and easier to catch by engaging in sexual activity than HIV. Hep C - no one know for sure if Hep C is transmitted sexually but about 10% of cases out there the mode of transmission/infection cannot be determined - so people think it may be sex. Then there are Hep D, E and G. Only one to worry about in this group is D but it usually is carried along with B and transmitted in the same manner.

Don't know where that leaves any of you. But I would definitely recommend always using a condom with people - even if you know them unless you have formed some type of closed swinging group. And even then, insist on everyone being tested before abandoning the protection. How often should people who swing be tested? Thats tough. Personally, we go every 6 months but if you are really active or have risky/no condom encounters then every three/two months perhaps monthly would not be a bad idea.
Also, as a side note. It is my understanding that the adult entertainment industry tests monthly and uses the PCR DNA test [which is much more sensitive than the normal antibody screening test typically given at clinics]; the incident of HIV in adult performers is waaay low. See the AIM website for info.

I hope this information is useful to some who think safer sex is for the people who know their playmates or think that safer sex is not worth it...

Ray

Don, I totally agree with you here.. I just wanted to pass a few facts as they were reported by the physician then. Thought it might be useful to some on the site...
Ray

Don you are right...viruses do stay dormant....and there is really NO way to be abosultely sure. Testing helps you be SAFER...thats all. You do have to admit if testing was practiced more often....there would be more safety going on. How many times is there someone who has one of these things and doesn't know...because those symptoms are hiding??...if they'd been tested they could have been treated before playing. Or the potential partners could make an informed decision before choosing to expose themselves. Or those with Herpes 2 or Genital Warts could play amoungst themselves.

Here is a very good article about Herpes....its long...but helps you understand exactly how the two different viruses work.
http://www.herpes.com/hsv1-2.html

Here is a great chart from The San Francisco City Clinic that tells you what sexual acts put you at risk for what diseases. Its pretty interesting. http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/sfcityclinic/stdbasics/stdchart.asp