Makin' It Safe

Are you a porn star?  Tired of fearing the STD hand-off from one of your peers?  Well fret no more--the industry has now got doctors to help clear you up and keep it private too.  So says an official from the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), an organization heading up a new medical network to service the porn industry.

The Adult Production Health and Safety Services has been created to replace the now defunct Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation that closed earlier this month.  Known as the AIM clinic, the San Fernando Valley health clinic was a preferred medical provider for many performers in the multibillion-dollar porn industry, providing a discreet environment for frequent HIV and STD tests.

The AIM clinic was forced to close permanently earlier this month following a series of controversies.  After porn actor Derrick Burts was diagnosed HIV-positive there in December, state and local officials said the clinic failed to cooperate with their investigation into other possible infections. Burts said that instead of getting information from the clinic on how to get follow-up care, he was told to avoid media, change his phone number and leave town.  The clinic was also accused of medical privacy violations after patient information appeared on a website in the run-up to its closure.

The FSC, unfortunately, are not in a position to set up an actual clinic to replace AIM, so they've done the next best thing--create a network of doctors to take care of adult film actors icognito.  Doesn't get much better than that.  Within a week, FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said, performers will be provided a list of labs and clinics where they can get testing and have their results fed into the industry database.

For those that don't know, the heterosexual porn industry attempts to keep close tabs on its actors, to prevent the spread of diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV.  Recent HIV outbreaks in the straight porn industry have shocked those inside as well as the outside public--all the more reason to make sure an updated medical database and medical professionals are at hand to keep the industry safe.  The same safeguards are not in place in the gay porn industry.  It is believed that HIV outbreaks in the straight industry are started by infections incurred in crossover actors--that is, males working concurrently in both industries.  If you don't get it, don't ask--you never will.

The new database will tell users whether an actor is available to work or not, depending on whether they have any of the sexually transmitted infections the system tracks.  The system makes an exception for HIV-positive gay performers who still work in sex scenes while using condoms.  Further, the group is reaching out to medical providers with education to ensure sex performers aren't treated with insensitivity and hostility for their work.

Listen, you may not like the porn industry, but safety there is safety for us all.  Porn stars need good medical care like we all do--maybe even more than the average blow...ehem, Joe.  So this is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.  Safe sex should be the norm--in life and in fantasy.  Good job, Free Speech Coalition.

Super-Gonorrhea!

Look!  Up in the thighs!  It's a bug!  It's the clap!  It's Super-Gonorrhea!

Aw sh@#!...look out unsafe sexers, gonorrhea is back with a vengeance.  The sexually transmitted disease is developing resistance to the drugs we treat it with here in the U.S., researchers warn.

In 2009, nearly 25% of strains tested nationwide were resistant to the following antibiotics: penicillin, tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, or a combination thereof.  In 2010, Neisseria gonorrhea started developing resistance to the cephalosporins, the last class of drugs being recommended to fight the bacterium.  Microorganisms that develop drug resistance are called superbugs, like the methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) that has plagued the U.S. over the last several years.  Do I really need to explain the dangers of superbugs?

People contracting gonorrhea often show no symptoms, but untreated clap can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain in women, and in men epididymitis, a painful condition of the ducts attached to the testicles that may also cause infertility.  If it spreads to the blood or joints...could be bye-bye.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 700,000 gonorrheal infections occur in the U.S. every year.  Antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea has been happening since the 1970s; but as this newest resistance to cephalosporins is occurring, it becomes serious cause for alarm.  Researchers are seeing the emergence of cephalosporin-resistant gonorrhea in South East Asia.  Typically, resistant strains from that part of the world migrate over to the U.S., and then spread from West to East.

OK, one more time: NO GLOVE, NO LOVE!  C'mon people, buy some dang rubbers...and use them!  Sheesh.  What the heck is so hard about that?

(In whiniest voice musterable) But I don't like the way it feels.

You like the feel of epididymitis, knuckle-head?  Then take one for the team, why don't you...and help stop the spread of Super-Gonorrhea.

Aging Doesn't Prevent Clap

Get this: Geriatric gentlemen popping Viagra are more likely to have VD.  Doh!  Yes, it's true--middle-aged and elderly men that take the erectile dysfunction (ED) med seem to be more likely to practice risky sexual behavior.  This the latest report in the recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

According to the report, individuals most likely to fall into this group are men that have sex with men.  The data comes from a study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Southern California, where researchers looked at a representative sample of privately insured older men.  The study was unable to determine if the men were primarily homosexual or bisexual.

Researchers examined health insurance claims records covering 1997 though 2006 from 44 large U.S. employers. The study group included about 34,000 male beneficiaries over 40 who used ED drugs, for whom the researchers collected data covering one year before and one year after the first prescription was filled, and nearly 1.37 million men over 40 who were non-users, for whom claims data was also collected.

They found that men using Viagra or other ED drugs were two to three times more likely than non-users to have sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).   The most frequently reported STD was HIV/AIDS, followed by chlamydia. The researchers did not know if ED drug use itself increased STD risk but they plan on investigating that in future studies.

The study's authors conclude that:

1. Drugs like Viagra are not only being prescribed to men with ED but also to those engaging in risky behavior.  This blog has reported for a long time the use of ED drugs to party.
2. Age is not an inherent protection against STDs.  On the contrary, it appears that men (and women) partying with older men might want to carry their own protection (or demand health records).
3. Doctors are doing a poor job of discussing STD risk with older gentlemen.
4. HIV was probably most reported because its symptoms are most likely to bring men into doctors' offices.
5. Men that do not use condoms 100% of the time or are not in a mutually monogamous relationship need routine STD screening with repeated follow-ups.

All I can say is that I think it's human nature to make assumptions, and most people probably don't think of their gray-haired neighbor as the typical clap carrier.  But making assumptions is foolish.  Now you know.  Carry your own rubbers, doggone it.

Risky Swinging

Do you swing?  Swinger?  Over 45 and swinging?  Oh...then you'd better swing wisely...'cus I got some not so swinging news for you: Aging swingers are at a heightened risk for STDs.

According to a recent Dutch study, swingers in general, but especially the older set, pick up sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at a greater rate than heterosexual non-swingers, teens or gay/bisexual men (the latter two considered high risk groups).  The study looked at data collected on nearly 9,000 patient visits at three sexual health/STD clinics in 2007 and 2008.  Approximately 12% of those visits were reported to be by swingers--heterosexual people that engage in wife swapping or that frequent sex clubs for couples.

About 55% of all chlamydia and gonorrhea cases diagnosed in the study were in swingers, compared for instance to 31% in gay men.  One in every ten swingers tested positive for chlamydia, while one in twenty tested positive for gonorrhea.  Bummer.

And as the swingers aged, their incidences of STDs also increased.  10.4% of the male swingers over age 45 had chlamydia and/or gonorrhea, compared to only 2.4% of other male heterosexuals; while 18 % of female swingers over 45 had chlamydia, compared to 4% of other heterosexual women, and less than 3% of prostitutes.

Wait...what?  That's right, prostitutes had lower incidences of STDs than did swingers.  Doh!

OK, ok...too obvious: Hookers use condoms...swingers don't.  Not smart swinging, if you ask me.

Listen, if you're gonna swing, would it hurt to bring a few rubbers?  I know, I know...but maybe others will catch on.  Why, you could be a swinging STD activist.  Yes, I can see it now, the swinger that brings responsible behavior to the orgy.  A little square, yes--but safe, no doubt.  And better to be safe swinging than urine stinging, I always say.  So go ahead, buck convention.  Wear condoms--they work.

Condom Couture

How'd that condom fit? Many men are complaining, "not too well"...and they're taking them off or shunning them altogether as a result. Hope Trojan Brand is listening.

According to a recent survey of 436 men, aged 18 to 67, 45 percent said they'd used a condom that fit poorly the last time they had sex during the previous three months. Doh! And these men were 2.5 times more likely to say their condom broke or slipped compared to those who said their condoms fit well; they were also five times more likely to say they experienced irritation to the penis.

Men who said that condoms fit poorly also complained that the condoms made it difficult for them or their partners to reach orgasm, and they were more likely to remove the condoms and continue having sex without. Double doh!

The study was conducted by The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, on their website, and is published online in February in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Researchers noted that the findings "emphasize the point that men and their female sex partners may benefit from public health efforts designed to promote the improved fit of condoms."

I see it now, a whole new industry on the horizon: condom haute couture--customized rubbers. Now that's an idea. They can come in all kinds if fabulous colors and varieties: french ticklers, vibratory stimulators, crab claws, whatever. But if this survey is a good representation of the public, then it would behoove condom companies to listen, as increases in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases can result from defunct rubbers.

My advice to men is to actually take the time to search for the right condom. Although the local drugstore usually carries the minimum of brands and varieties, specialty stores will have wider selections. Or better yet, here's a website: www.condomania.com. They've got the right glove for every size. Check it out. Taking the time to do it right is important. Put a little work in, fellas...or suffer the consequences.

Get Tested!

Good news: More than one million sexual health screens were conducted in Britain in 2007, up 10% from 2006.

Bad news: Diagnosed cases of chlamydia increased by more than 22,000 in the United Kingdom. Youch!

Chlamydia isn't reserved for the UK alone; heck, no--we've got plenty of cases in the United States too. Estimates have American chlamydia cases at 2.3 million with less than half of those actually reported in all 50 states. Yikes!!!

So you know what that means? Well, first let me give you a few facts: Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is often silent--that is, many people infected with the bacterium (Chlamydia trachomatis) don't even know it. People that do know generally find out when they develop symptoms: Burning and itching around the penis in men, along with discharge and pissing razor blades. In women, abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating, while those whose infection spreads to the cervix and fallopian tubes might experience lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods.

Worse yet, because chlamydia is silent in so many people--in other words, no symptoms--many cases go undetected, and thus untreated. As a result, infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. In women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (you don't want that) and ultimately, ectopic pregnancy and infertility (definitely don't want that) . Complications in men are rare but can lead to infection of the epididymis, which can cause sterility.

OK, so now what does this all mean? First, one in ten women are infected. So guys, one out of every ten women you hit on are potential carriers* And for women who like women...bad news--you can get chlamydia through oral sex, so infection of the throat is not uncommon. And women who like guys--one in every twelve men is infected, so if you have many options in the dating scene...ahem...practice caution. And guys to guys--well, you've got the triple threat, so see the prevention tips below.

Finally, which group is catching and passing chlamydia the most? Youngsters--people aged 18-24 are the highest risk group. So what to do? Here are the tips:

• Keeping it in your pants is the best all around protection, period. Too prudish for you?
  
• Then having a long-term, monogamous relationship also helps. But if that just isn't in the cards,
• then using condoms, properly, every time you have sex is a must. No glove, no love, baby.
• and then getting tested annually is a great idea, especially if you're female, under twenty-five, and sexually active (particularly if you have multiple sex partners).

If you fear that you might have a sexually transmitted disease, don't hesitate, get tested. If you need further info, check out:

Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/std

*I'm using British numbers here, but for all intents and purposes, we can extrapolate them to qualify the point--U.S. chlamydia numbers are actually 0.1% higher; and since our population is about five times greater than the U.K.'s...well, you do the math.