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Setting STD Risks Straight for Typical Businessmen
Drs.,
First let me thank you profusely for this excellent forum and corresponding responses. I have found MedHelp to be the best and least ambiguous site on the internet for this information.
I believe my question is likely answered via several other threads, but I thought it was worthwhile to ask a very direct question that likely applies to many users on this site. I am likely similar to most other American businessmen in their 30s and 40s. I travel to Asia, India, Europe and the Middle East often. Of course in many cities in these regions, prostitution is either legal or condoned. Thus, from time to time I will order an escort, just as many other businessmen do. Of course, I have no way of knowing the STD-status of these girls and I do not try to foolishly diagnosis these women when they arrive. Of course, I engage in strictly safe sex with a latex condom for both oral and vaginal sex only. Typical sexual sessions last 10-15 minutes after a massage. Light kissing and some skin-to-skin contact occurs, a would be expected. The condom never breaks and I definitely use it properly. So in summary, I believe I am describing an encounter nearly identical to the encounters of many other typical businessmen on this forum.
So my question is this: given this typical encounter, is there really any risk of contracting any STD and any need for concern or testing afterward?
I ask this because so many other forums provide ambiguous answers with a myriad of caveats and likely unnecessary recommendations for testing. Further, as I wrote, I believe many professional businessmen are responsible and have experiences identical to what I have described above. It would be a great service to simply set the record straight with a clear answer.
Thank you for your time.
First let me thank you profusely for this excellent forum and corresponding responses. I have found MedHelp to be the best and least ambiguous site on the internet for this information.
I believe my question is likely answered via several other threads, but I thought it was worthwhile to ask a very direct question that likely applies to many users on this site. I am likely similar to most other American businessmen in their 30s and 40s. I travel to Asia, India, Europe and the Middle East often. Of course in many cities in these regions, prostitution is either legal or condoned. Thus, from time to time I will order an escort, just as many other businessmen do. Of course, I have no way of knowing the STD-status of these girls and I do not try to foolishly diagnosis these women when they arrive. Of course, I engage in strictly safe sex with a latex condom for both oral and vaginal sex only. Typical sexual sessions last 10-15 minutes after a massage. Light kissing and some skin-to-skin contact occurs, a would be expected. The condom never breaks and I definitely use it properly. So in summary, I believe I am describing an encounter nearly identical to the encounters of many other typical businessmen on this forum.
So my question is this: given this typical encounter, is there really any risk of contracting any STD and any need for concern or testing afterward?
I ask this because so many other forums provide ambiguous answers with a myriad of caveats and likely unnecessary recommendations for testing. Further, as I wrote, I believe many professional businessmen are responsible and have experiences identical to what I have described above. It would be a great service to simply set the record straight with a clear answer.
Thank you for your time.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No.
That's all for this thread. No more comments please.
That's all for this thread. No more comments please.
Dr,
On this last point, if oral-genital contact was with a condom, would you still recommend routine testing?
thanks.
On this last point, if oral-genital contact was with a condom, would you still recommend routine testing?
thanks.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I would recommend routine STD/HIV testing only for people who have had vaginal or anal intercourse or oral-genital contact.
Thank you for the clear answer. It is essentially what I expected. I appreciate the recommendation to be tested periodically as well as the caution that there is no such thing as 100% prevention.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Patience, patience. MedHelp standard for the moderated forums is for response within 24 hours and we don't necessarily take questions in sequence.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
Having made a decision to have casual partnerships with commercial sex workers, you have tacitly accepted a certain amount of risk for STD. If you need zero risk, you need to reconsider that basic decision. However, within the context of that decision, you are going about it with maximum safety. First, expensive escorts often are pretty bright about STD prevention, use condoms with all their customers, and aren't necessarily at particularly high risk of having STDs or HIV. Second, things like kissing and non-genital skin contact carry no STD risk.
Third, condoms work with near perfection to prevent STDs transmitted through genital secretions (semen, vaginal fluids, etc) -- gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, hepatitis. They are highly protective but not perfect against infections transmitted skin to skin, like herpes, HPV, and syphilis. In fact, genital HPV infection is probably inevitable despite consistent condom use. But everybody gets HPV anyway, and people with your sexual lifestyle probably don't get it any more frequently than anyone else.
Because not all risk can be prevented, condoms can break, and there is no such thing as 100% protection, everyone who is sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships should have routine testing for HIV and other STDs from time to time, e.g. once a year. You would be wise to do this -- and of course also get professional attention for any symptoms that suggest STD, such as abnormal penile discharge or genital lesions. But that's just a precaution. Most likely you could follow your current practices for many years with no important health consequences.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Having made a decision to have casual partnerships with commercial sex workers, you have tacitly accepted a certain amount of risk for STD. If you need zero risk, you need to reconsider that basic decision. However, within the context of that decision, you are going about it with maximum safety. First, expensive escorts often are pretty bright about STD prevention, use condoms with all their customers, and aren't necessarily at particularly high risk of having STDs or HIV. Second, things like kissing and non-genital skin contact carry no STD risk.
Third, condoms work with near perfection to prevent STDs transmitted through genital secretions (semen, vaginal fluids, etc) -- gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, hepatitis. They are highly protective but not perfect against infections transmitted skin to skin, like herpes, HPV, and syphilis. In fact, genital HPV infection is probably inevitable despite consistent condom use. But everybody gets HPV anyway, and people with your sexual lifestyle probably don't get it any more frequently than anyone else.
Because not all risk can be prevented, condoms can break, and there is no such thing as 100% protection, everyone who is sexually active outside mutually monogamous relationships should have routine testing for HIV and other STDs from time to time, e.g. once a year. You would be wise to do this -- and of course also get professional attention for any symptoms that suggest STD, such as abnormal penile discharge or genital lesions. But that's just a precaution. Most likely you could follow your current practices for many years with no important health consequences.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
I have noticed many recent responses to other questions and none to this one. I am new to this forum so I hope that I did not break protocol or do something incorrect. If there is a problem with my inquiry, please let me know. I was very sincere in my question. I live this lifestyle, as do many other businessmen, and I want to know my risk exposure. Again, thank you for your time.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
