I am getting rather confused over the cause of sexually-transmitted diseases and AIDS. Someone will get struck down by any of these diseases only if he / she happens to have intercourse with someone who is already infected.
But how did those diseases come about in the first place? Who was the perpetrator? Besides being transmitted through sex, these can also be spread by using the same toothbrush, pricked by a needle used by an infected person, coming into contact with the blood of an infected person, and even saliva. Or will the disease be spead through French kissing or oral sex as well?
These diseases are often transmitted when people sleep around with no protection. But what is the definition of sleeping around? One night stands, doing it with several people at one time, or having several partners at different times?
Let's say this girl, A, had three boyfriends before. She slept with all of them unprotected sometimes. During each relationship, she was only faithful to the respective guy, and was sure the guy at the moment was faithful to her.
Then she found her fourth boyfriend and slept with him, unprotected, as well. This guy, B, had four girlfriends before but he slept with only two of them, also unprotected. He, too, was only faithful to the girl of the moment and vice versa.
So girl A had three sexual partners before guy B, and he had two sexual partners before her. They never used protection. Now, are they at a high risk of contracting any sexually transmitted disease? Or are those people who have a different partner every night more prone?
Then what about sex workers? Considering what they do for a living, will they be the ones that are most prone to these diseases? As far as I know, anyone with more than one sex partner has a risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases, but is there a limit on how many people one can sleep with before it becomes too risky?
But how did those diseases come about in the first place? Who was the perpetrator? Besides being transmitted through sex, these can also be spread by using the same toothbrush, pricked by a needle used by an infected person, coming into contact with the blood of an infected person, and even saliva. Or will the disease be spead through French kissing or oral sex as well?
These diseases are often transmitted when people sleep around with no protection. But what is the definition of sleeping around? One night stands, doing it with several people at one time, or having several partners at different times?
Let's say this girl, A, had three boyfriends before. She slept with all of them unprotected sometimes. During each relationship, she was only faithful to the respective guy, and was sure the guy at the moment was faithful to her.
Then she found her fourth boyfriend and slept with him, unprotected, as well. This guy, B, had four girlfriends before but he slept with only two of them, also unprotected. He, too, was only faithful to the girl of the moment and vice versa.
So girl A had three sexual partners before guy B, and he had two sexual partners before her. They never used protection. Now, are they at a high risk of contracting any sexually transmitted disease? Or are those people who have a different partner every night more prone?
Then what about sex workers? Considering what they do for a living, will they be the ones that are most prone to these diseases? As far as I know, anyone with more than one sex partner has a risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases, but is there a limit on how many people one can sleep with before it becomes too risky?
8 comments:
When you have intercourse with a person, you are exposed to the entire sexual history of that person and their partners and their partners partners.
Basically you have to consider the entire chain of sexual exposure.
Risks for transmission vary. Most infections are transmitted through fluid (which can include saliva), some by blood, some factors can increase risk of transmission.
You can check out this chart .
There was a great article - which I can't find now - which said something like "When a high school student has sex with a person, they are actually coming in contact with 90 other people." (it is the last number I cannot remember, but it was higher than I expected. It also included a really neat chart showing the sexual chain. Evn if each individual had only 1 or two partners).
I make it a point to go for medical checkups before committing into any new relationship. Some of my friends find it weird but I felt that I should be responsible; and that my partner has the right to know. Going for a checkup before marriage and having kids would be too late.
There are many STDs yet interestingly, they are given publicity not on their potency but their fatality. Take for example HepB; you can get it simply by going for a hair cut but it did not receive as much publicity as HIV (which for normal heterosexual intercourse, the risk is 1 in 5,000,000 for the man and 1 in 500 for the woman)
There have been many stories of conspiracy theories of how diseases came about but people usually accept it as some form of bacteria (using from other mammals) mutating into a killer virus.
Intercourse carries a risk whether it is protected, not protected, with one partner or with multiple partners. To be safe and responsible, go for a checkup and stay faithful to one another.
I would think the term applies more correctly to people with a high turnover of partners. As to how often? I would say 1 new one in a month would qualify.
Of course, your chance of getting it goes higher if your partner belongs to the above group (or used to be, unless that person is already certified as clear when starting with you.)
I think I agreed with ole's point as in how many sex partners you have rather than how many times of sex you have, also if you have sex with 10 healthy persons chances of getting it of course is zero, likewise if you have sex with just 1 who has got diseases than of course chances are you will get it for sure !
when you sleep with a man, you sleep with his entire sexual history.
and all it takes is one unfortunate unlucky time to be infected.
there's no guard against except faithfulness and loyalty to your partner.
i assume that in unprotected sex, it also means that there's an ingestion of oral contraceptives/patches whatever to zap pregnancy scares?
Then what about sex workers? Considering what they do for a living, will they be the ones that are most prone to these diseases?
Comparing sex workers to one-night-standers, I guess the latter would be more prone to diseases. Because of the amazing belief that they don't do it for money, thus it's safer. (Okay, that's me being sarcastic.) :-\
Sex workers, on the other hand, do it for money. It's their livelihood. Sad, but true. Thus, it's more logical to think that they'll take more precaution in the course of their work. Because if they get sick, they'll lose their customers and thus, their means of living.
Of course it also depends on how educated the sex workers are.
Cel wrote: As far as I know, anyone with more than one sex partner has a risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases
Anyone who has a sexual partner who has had more than 0 previous partners is at risk.
Like imp said: when you sleep with someone, you sleep their entire sexual history (rephrased it to make it more universal).
STDs should not be your oncern, rather fidelity.
Richard : Thanks for the chart!
Leecooper : Good idea, to go for checkup. After all, one never knows.
Ole Wolvie : 1 new one in a month? That's really a high turnover.
Imp : Erh... not sure about the birth control thing though, but wouldn't safe sex be better than just mere pills?
Anon_X : I agree with u to a certain extent. I think nowadays it is a rule that prostitutes have to insist their clients wear the rubber or else no service.
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