How often do you get tested?

We know SP's get tested regularly but how often do the hobbyists get tested for STI/STD's? Do you see your doctor or go to a clinic?

I used to see my Doctor but felt a bit of judgement so now I go to a clinic. Funny enough, he happened to be assisting at the clinic one time I was there. :) Without bad luck I sometimes think I'd have no luck.

I have relaxed my rule about everything covered and now allow bbbj. Recently I also had an incident where the condom came off during intercourse. Neither one of us panicked as we both were confident in our health but to be safe I am going to get tested. Without this incident I would probably go every 6 months to a year. I would go sooner if I was having sex with my wife and risked exposing her. Hell, I probably wouldn't be doing this if we were having sex. Having said that, you all are pretty addictive and I might have a hard time cutting this out of my life.

For me once every two months. I get it done at the lab at my doctors office. I need to get my blood tested (test prescription drug levels) once every two months for other health reasons. At the same time I get tested for STD/STI...and every time I fail, I don't have STD's/STI's :-)

If I'm already at the lab, get it done. If the results came back positive that I do have a STD/STI then I would get it treated immediately.

And while I do believe that everyone's sexual health is their own responsibility, and testing is done for your own health, I know who all my partners going right back to my first encounter in this lifestyle in July 2010 were and are...and I would advise them if I did test positive. But I emphasize not because I'm obligated to, because I choose to

Anyhow, a rambling

RG

I don't have sex with my SO anymore so I don't feel the need to test as often. I've not kept track but roughly once a year at a clinic.

Every three months. I would go monthly, but the clinic seems to frown on that.

I only clicked on this thread because I was curious about who the question was addressed to (clients or providers) as we have some threads on this topic already and realize the question is for the gentlemen however when I read the comments quoted below I couldn't avoid asking the the posters what about us providers? STD's are not limited to be contracted via intercourse but also kissing, oral, skin contact, etc. so if you don't partake in any of these with your wives/SO then yes they are safe but what about the escorts you visit? We are expected to be responsible with our health and getting tested regularly to prevent our guests to contract something so doesn't it go both ways? I have never asked a guest when or how often they get tested and I have not been asked many times but I just find wrong for someone to not be concerned about my health only because I'm not his wife.

I would go sooner if I was having sex with my wife and risked exposing her.

I don't have sex with my SO anymore so I don't feel the need to test as often. I've not kept track but roughly once a year at a clinic.

Isabella, I probably shouldn't speak for others, but at a guess I'd say it's not that they don't care about a provider's safety, but that the thinking is if they were having sex with their wives it would likely be unprotected sex and so the risk of transmission would simply be so much greater.

So safety and considerations of a provider's health is of course important, but where it's probably hard to explain to a spouse why you suddenly think they need to use condoms all the time, using protection with a provider is a given.

I don't have a solid reason but for me it's risk mitigation. I know that it only takes one interaction to transfer any STIs but we all mitigate or tolerate risk in all aspects of life. I get to see a SP maybe once every month or two and for me I feel once a year is adequate. If I was seeing SPs more often then I would get tested accordingly. I also keep a list of the SPs that I've seen with dates and contact information, so I would know who may be affected should I have a positive test. To be honest I started that list as a tracker to keep my spending in check but along the way I did think of it as a safety list also.

As for the question of who am I protecting, for me the order is my SO, then me and then the SP. I would expect that SPs get tested more often and they would do this to protect themselves and their SO first and then the client.

Well I don't have a spouse, a SO or date in the civilian world

But as I have said (and others too) everyone's sexual health is their own responsibility. I can't be responsible for everyone else's sexual health. Likewise other's can't be responsible for my sexual health.

Testing is done to ensure I don't have any STDs/STIs and if I do (touch wood I never will LOL) to get them treated.

When ladies get tested it is done to ensure they don't have any STDs/STIs and if they do, to get them treated.

Now because I know who I've seen I would let any lady I've seen know if I tested for an STD/STI. Not because I'm obligated too, because I choose to. I also do not expect any lady to tell me her test results.

As long as we as adults take responsibility for ourselves in this lifestyle, we should be fine

No one should count on others in this lifestyle to take responsibility for your own health. Likewise others shouldn't count on you for their sexual health

That is the assumed risk in a polyamorous lifestyle that all participants take

A morning rambling

RG

Every two months through my family med doctor and/or any other time I feel it is warranted. I am very proactive about this health related matter along with many others. Whether I am an "unattached widower" which I am or a family man isn't the issue. As well, I tend to be very limited intentionally as to who I spend time with. I am responsible and accountable.

Isabella, I probably shouldn't speak for others, but at a guess I'd say it's not that they don't care about a provider's safety, but that the thinking is if they were having sex with their wives it would likely be unprotected sex and so the risk of transmission would simply be so much greater.

 

So safety and considerations of a provider's health is of course important, but where it's probably hard to explain to a spouse why you suddenly think they need to use condoms all the time, using protection with a provider is a given.

Hmmm The way I read this, safety with a provider isn't a concern cause we use condoms all the time. Nobody does bbbj and no kissing???

Oh and only clients can have a wife or SO. Providers are all single, never have any bfs and of course, given that reasoning never have sex without a condom!!!

So the health of a clients wife/SO is more important than the health of those in a provider's life???

Safety in this business is importantly equal for both clients and providers. We must all realize the risk involved and also realize that what happens in our personal life may impact on everyone partaking in this business! The action of one person is all that is needed to spread diseases, unless everyone gets tested after every encounter!

I only clicked on this thread because I was curious about who the question was addressed to (clients or providers) as we have some threads on this topic already and realize the question is for the gentlemen however when I read the comments quoted below I couldn't avoid asking the the posters what about us providers? STD's are not limited to be contracted via intercourse but also kissing, oral, skin contact, etc. so if you don't partake in any of these with your wives/SO then yes they are safe but what about the escorts you visit? We are expected to be responsible with our health and getting tested regularly to prevent our guests to contract something so doesn't it go both ways? I have never asked a guest when or how often they get tested and I have not been asked many times but I just find wrong for someone to not be concerned about my health only because I'm not his wife.

Hi Isabella,

Very good point! We should all take responsibility for our health, and the health of others we are intimate with, and that's why I posted the question. I wanted to understand what other hobbyists thought about testing and frequency.

I only see SP's occasionally, maybe 4 times a year and so I get tested every 6 months to a year. Yes, I know it only takes one time but me giving an STI to an SP given my frequency versus an SP's frequency, I think the odds are in my favor. I would not want to affect anyone's health but I am "more" concerned about my wife's health since she didn't bargain for the risk like we did.

So how long should you wait to get tested after an encounter? I understand it can take several weeks for a symptom to even manifest so not much point in getting tested right after an encounter and also not wise to wait for symptoms since you may not notice anything.

This is what I use for reference:

http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/public-health/sexual-health/sexual-health-centre

Thanks for the links, Craig and Miss Thora. Good info there and especially liked the comments at the bottom of your link, MT.

In response to the member who left a comment on my previous post asking if I am suggesting BBFS and BBBJ are the same risk, the answer is no and don't see where you got that from. First we are not allowed to discuss bbfs on this board.

Secondly what I was saying amongst other things which I will not repeat is that STD/STA can also be transmitted via bbbj and kissing and therefore a condom greatly reduces the risk but doesn't eliminate it completely.

Thirdly, there are providers, and maybe more that some may think, that are either married or do have a SO. Therefore they face the same concerns in their personal life as a client who has a wife/SO

Hmmm The way I read this, safety with a provider isn't a concern cause we use condoms all the time. Nobody does bbbj and no kissing???

 

Oh and only clients can have a wife or SO. Providers are all single, never have any bfs and of course, given that reasoning never have sex without a condom!!!

 

So the health of a clients wife/SO is more important than the health of those in a provider's life???

 

Safety in this business is importantly equal for both clients and providers. We must all realize the risk involved and also realize that what happens in our personal life may impact on everyone partaking in this business! The action of one person is all that is needed to spread diseases, unless everyone gets tested after every encounter!

Wow...did you ever read me wrong. I'm actually more than a little insulted you'd try to put the words in my mouth that I'm somehow saying a provider's life is of less value. I'd hope anyone whose read me at all on this board knows me better than that.

Obviously any sexual activity comes with a risk. That goes, I thought, without saying. I certainly never said that condoms mean there's no risk. My suggestion was only that if a person has unprotected sex with someone they are more likely to transmit something, and so that person may feel a greater need for testing. It's a matter of scale, not all or nothing!

If a person is only having sexual encounters with a provider using protection, there is of course risk, testing is important, etc. But the chance of an STI is lessened because of the use of condoms. If a person is also having unprotected sex with someone--such as their spouse--they might feel the need to get tested more often because if they are positive for anything--the chances of passing it along are greater.

Think of it this way. A person might get tested on a fairly regular basis. But then during an encounter the condom breaks. Because of the increased risk that person might feel like getting an extra test ahead of schedule. It's the same idea.

That is all I was suggesting.

Between no risk and 100% risk there is a whole range of degrees. The degree of risk is all I was referring to when I made my post. Brad's explained it very well. Thanks Brad!