*Disclaimer* I am not a doctor. I have no medical degree. I’m just some guy on the internet trying to help. Please don’t take my word as gospel, and if you know something I don’t please reach out. @Yumik
I don’t want this page to sound preachy. I do need to take a moment to state that the party accepts and promotes safe sex. We will have condoms on site and promote regular STD testing, PrEP, and condom use.
That being said I practice something called RACK. Risk Aware Consensual Kink. I don’t believe that sex is inherently a risk free activity no matter what you try. I personally find the risk acceptable for the experiences I have. It is up to each individual to decide where that line is for them. I will do my best to provide some science backed advice, but keep in mind that I do take these risks and might be biased in one way or another.
STDS
I think the number one std fear is HIV/AIDS. First off, it simply isn’t as freaky to live with as it used to be. Because of today treatments this disease has seen a staggering 42x decrease in mortality over the past 25 years. Most people live with few to no symptoms. That being said it is a lifelong STD that will require regular testing and medication to manage. It carries a great deal of social stigma and will have an effect on your life to have. There are protections you can take though. Condoms will protect you here! But not everyone will use condoms. There is a daily pill you can take that can greatly reduce your chances of catching HIV even when you are exposed. It is called PrEP or Truvada. If you plan on playing bare with people I would recommend either you or them be on PrEP to make things safer. Find a PrEP friendly doctor -> https://www.greaterthan.org/get-prep/
The number two std concern I see newer people worry about is HSV (Herpes). HSV comes in two varieties, HSV1 and HSV2. It is a lifelong virus that can cause acne like outbreaks in either the oral or genital region. The good news is that the symptoms are generally mild, the virus is not life threatening and doesn’t provide any complications. The bad news is that this is quite common. About half of all Americans have HSV1, it causes cold sores. Around 10% of Americans have HSV2. Contrary to popular belief (and old science) HSV1 and HSV2 can both infect either the oral or genital region, it is no longer exclusive. Additionally, the current tests for HSV are often inaccurate and expensive, leading many doctors and most clinics not to include them in standard STD screening. Condoms do not prevent this, though they do cut its transmission rate in half. Condoms and boxers can be a fairly effective if awkward solution.
I want to take a moment to touch on something that I don’t think enough people pay attention to, HPV. The effects of HPV are still being understood, and I don’t think we know all of the effects it has yet. It appears mostly benign in males but can cause genital warts. It has been linked to ovarian cancers and other more serious effects in females. The CDC raised the age limits for males recently. If you are under 26 (male or female!) you can likely get vaccinated for many of the common strains of HPV under your insurance!
Outside of these other STD’s are curable if caught reasonably soon. Things like syphilis cause their damage over long periods of time. By getting regular STD testing I feel like I am covering my bases outside of the lifelong ones. If anything comes up during an STD test we recommend taking a break from the community while you sort out what that means for you and work with a doctor to move through it.