Real-life STD rates / experiences?
 

I hear statistics like "1.5 million new chlamydia infections per year in the U.S." and it sounds a bit unbelievable. If you filter out the two-thirds of people who are old, young, celibate, monogamous, etc., there would have to be some high rates in the remaining pool of sexually actives!

For me, in 30 years of male-male sex averaging about 15 partners/contacts per year (more in some years, much less in others), I never once tested positive for a "Big 4" STD. (meaning one of HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis)

Until recently. I had a wild (for me) three weeks of bottoming in gay bookstores and bathhouses. I am on PrEP. It so happened that, for a month, my daily Truvada would be combined with an extra medicine like in PEP. I figured that if there was one time in my entire life when I could allow myself to be a giant cumslut, this was it. All told, in my first three weeks of doing PrEP + Tivicay for a month, I took probably about 50 separate cocks with about 15 anonymous raw loads in my ass and 15 or 20 swallowed.

At the end of that, for the first time in my life I finally tested positive for oral and rectal chlamydia. Asymptomatic: the reason I found out was, my getting tested before and after the slutty period. And no worries, it's better now (antibiotics). And I have some great memories!

But it got me wondering......have I simply been "lucky," in never acquiring a recognized STD in my previous 30 years / 500+ contacts / 120+ strangers' loads swallowed?

What are your own real-life experiences with getting chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis?

For guys who are into bathhouses, bookstores or gangbang parties:

- how often do you get tested for the "other" STDs?
- How often does your test show infected?
- Does it discourage your activity? Do you abstain, during or after your treatment period?

Are you sure that you were always chlamydia or gonorrhea free all the time for all those years? There are cases where (especially clamydia) can be a pretty quiet infection in the throat or the rectum, and may eventually resolve.

Or perhaps you are just really lucky. Probably depends also on where you live and where you play. Big metro areas have more STIs, and places where a lot of guys travel to play (PS, Fort Lauderdale, etc).

I have to admit that I'm pretty jealous. I have had way fewer partners and have had chlamidia more than once, and once, many years ago, warts (that was miserable). I tend to get tested once or twice a year just to be sure, and I haven't had an STI in many years. BTW, swallowing or not swallowing would have equal impact on transmitting chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or warts. The infection's not in the semen. I'm pretty careful what I do when I play and had to work on my boundaries while playing at a big event at CCBC last Saturday night. Fortunately, found I guy who happily put a condom on me (I am always surprised in the guys who only want to be barebacked). I have that urge in me to do what you did, hope you had a great time and congrats on only picking up the easily treatables.

<blockquote>Are you sure that you were always chlamydia or gonorrhea free...cases where [there] can be a pretty quiet infection...and may eventually resolve.</blockquote>Before PrEP (with its frequent testing): I mostly used condoms for anal, tested the HIV annually, and tested the other STIs less often - like every few years. Perhaps yes, I could have had an oral infection at some point that my body defeated on its own, between tests?

<blockquote>Probably depends also on where you live and where you play</blockquote>Before PrEP (do you see a theme?): I avoided bathhouses, sex parties, all-gay hotels. I gravitated toward the "uptight" or "newbie" or "paranoid" or "usually straight" guys, on the theory that *on average*, they might have had fewer past partners / infections than the guys who hit the bathhouse every week.

<blockquote>congrats on only picking up the easily treatables</blockquote>And thank you, for your feedback! This chlamydia event of mine, has been a warning. I probably won't go celibate, but it does seem smart to go back to some of my "before PrEP" habits.

As to good memories - I've told a story or two in my reviews, like <a href="https://listings.cruisingforsex.com/united-states/california/san-gregorio/san-gregorio-nude-beach-27283-details.html">this one</a>. Enjoy!

Bla, Your San Gregorio story is very hot. I have fantasies of doing just what you did, so I enjoyed it vicariously. And I've had great sex on other beaches.

San Gregorio beach is a great place, I went there twice for nude sunning, strolling and hanging out with friends. I know that the forts are places for sex, but never had that opportunity.

Again, great that you have navigated the age of HIV so well, but in the age of PrEP now we have to be careful with other STIs. Actually, being older helps, I think. Four, not 8 or 10 in a day :-).