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STDs (Expert Forum)
Vaginal fauna
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
Vaginal fauna
by provo10, Apr 12, 2008 09:19PM
I am not, but the purpose of this question say I am a polygamist active with 20 wives (I take a lot of zinc via pumpkin seeds!) I scorn condoms, think they are unnatural so I have only bareback totally and shamelessly unprotected sex. Since women have naturally occuring in their vaginas orgainisms such as trichomonas, candida albican yeast, mycoplasms, ureaplasms, group b strep etc how often do I need to be examined for these organisms? If the woman is not having a problem and I have no symptoms would be safe to assume no testing is necessay and no harm done to either partners health or would periodic exams be necessary? Also can semen ejaculated into a woman's vagina be fatal? And do males eventually have symptoms it they get gonnorhea? I have heard it is now asymptomatic in males.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Apr 12, 2008 11:35PM
, Apr 12, 2008 11:35PM
Trichomonas is not a "naturally occurring" vaginal organism. Trichomoniasis is an STD and the organism is only transmitted to women from an infected male partner; and vice versa. The other organisms you mention are indeed natural and generally pose no risk to men; there is rarely if ever a need for men to be tested for them.
As to the overall risk of STD in a polygamous situation, in theory if such a group is "closed" -- everybody only has sex with others in the group, and at the outset nobody has an STD -- then the entire group will remain free of STDs. However, once a single infected person has sex with other group members, that STD can be expected to spread very rapidly to most members. Although "swingers" don't classify themselves as polygamous, the situation is similar -- and STDs have often been problems in swinger clubs. (HSV-1 is a special case. It is normally acquired orally, not by sex; but it then can be transmitted sexually through oral sex. I would expect some polygamous groups to have genital herpes due to HSV-1, without requring new entry of a person with genital herpes into the group).
If someone in your polygamous group has had trichomonas, then the entire group probably is infected, or soon will be. And trich often goes along with other STDs -- so if there has been trich. then everybody in the group should be tested for all common STDs, i.e. gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and -- to be safe -- HIV.
Gonorrhea can be asymptomatic in men, but rarely. In fact, asymptomatic gonorrhea in men is less common than it was 20-30 years ago.
I don't understand your question about fatal ejaculation of semen. I have never heard of such a thing. (Unless of course the male has HIV, which ultimately is fatal.) I also haven't a clue what you're trying to get across about zinc and pumpkin seeds. Of course those would have no effect on risk of STD.
Bottom line: It would be wise for most polygamous groups to periodically be tested for STDs and HIV, especially if a new member joins the group who has been sexually active with other people. But the importance of this probably varies from one group to another.
Regards-- HHH, MD
As to the overall risk of STD in a polygamous situation, in theory if such a group is "closed" -- everybody only has sex with others in the group, and at the outset nobody has an STD -- then the entire group will remain free of STDs. However, once a single infected person has sex with other group members, that STD can be expected to spread very rapidly to most members. Although "swingers" don't classify themselves as polygamous, the situation is similar -- and STDs have often been problems in swinger clubs. (HSV-1 is a special case. It is normally acquired orally, not by sex; but it then can be transmitted sexually through oral sex. I would expect some polygamous groups to have genital herpes due to HSV-1, without requring new entry of a person with genital herpes into the group).
If someone in your polygamous group has had trichomonas, then the entire group probably is infected, or soon will be. And trich often goes along with other STDs -- so if there has been trich. then everybody in the group should be tested for all common STDs, i.e. gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and -- to be safe -- HIV.
Gonorrhea can be asymptomatic in men, but rarely. In fact, asymptomatic gonorrhea in men is less common than it was 20-30 years ago.
I don't understand your question about fatal ejaculation of semen. I have never heard of such a thing. (Unless of course the male has HIV, which ultimately is fatal.) I also haven't a clue what you're trying to get across about zinc and pumpkin seeds. Of course those would have no effect on risk of STD.
Bottom line: It would be wise for most polygamous groups to periodically be tested for STDs and HIV, especially if a new member joins the group who has been sexually active with other people. But the importance of this probably varies from one group to another.
Regards-- HHH, MD
