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ORIGINAL: MariaB

We used protection before both going hand and hand to the clinic. We wanted to be screened at the same time.
I had been tested prior to this because I once got a needle stick but Steve hadn't and so I think he was quite nervous. I was surprised at just how hard it was to get a test at the STD clinic. We had to fill in a questionnaire that asked questions like, have you visited Africa and had sex with an African? or had sex with a man who recently came from or visited Africa? Is your partner bi and if so has he had anal sex? do you have anal sex together? Because we had heard that some people have been refused tests because they were not high risk enough, we just answered yes to them all.

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ORIGINAL: hausboy

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ORIGINAL: subspacepilot2

Sorry, certified STI free pretty much is only defined as an intact hymen.

STI testing is complex. (Disease includes signs/symptoms, and many infections transmitted sexually have no signs or symptoms).

Often a clinic will only test for HIV though many such as Planned Parenthood test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis and HIV. I don't know of any who test for Herpes; HPV (Venereal Warts, other than an internal or visible check); Trichomoniasias; Chancroid; BV (Bacterial Vaginosis which is often not considered an STI, but can be) Mycoplasma Genitalium; Lymphogranuloma Venereum, or Molluscum Contagiosum. K9 activity, male or female can indroduce Brucellosis which then can be transmitted human to human. This ignores the odd ones such as a common sheep disease which has caused multiple deaths whereby a male has had sex with a sheep then has had sex with a woman who was pregnant resulting in a few miscarriages.

Additionally there are diseases that can be spread by sexual contact including Hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis is generally transmitted fecal/oral, but can be transmitted though common bdsm activity such as rimming, enemas or scat play. Hep B can be transmitted via semen, especially semen/oral. Hepatitis C is not considered an STI by CDC, but bdsm activity that includes abrasion, needles, scarification, or knife play puts it back into the realm of an STI.

I tend to think it wise for anyone that plays with many partners to get Hep A/Hep B innocculated, once done that knocks them out. People who do blood/knife/needle play stand a fairly high risk of contracting Hep C.

Herpes blood testing is not common, and as far as I know there is only one test that differentiates between HSV1 and 2 though the concept of oral siting versus genital siting has become largely irrevelant especially as teens have, to a fair degree, turned to oral sex to avoid pregnancy . Oropharyngeal cancer is spiking probably because of genital transmission of the virulent strains of HPV to the oral cavity via oral sex. Guardasil and the other HPV trivalent or quadrivalent vaccines for HPVwill prevent most of these cancers as well as related as most cervical cancers.

Then there are the latency periods for each disease where not waiting enough time will result in a false negative test when the person soon will be infective. Sadly many clinics really do not, or cannot give good latency periods for HIV. Increased testing efficiency for HIV has reduced the latency period but it is test dependent with some tests reacting within a week or two, and others longer.

Since most HSV transmits without visible lesions, in the absence of HSV blood testing, preferably one that differentiates between HSV-1 and HSV-2, the reality is almost nobody can say: "I"m clean." The most that they can say is "I've never had a visible outbreak that I know of." That is not reassuring since most transmittable outbreaks are not visible. The same goes for HPV and though there are blood tests for HPV I believe that there is no FDA approved blood test. Cervical samples or HPV outbreak (wart) samples are taken and using DNA technology tested to ID the virulent (cancer implicated) strains (or at least the most important strains) . HPV can be present and can be infective with no visible warts.
Therefore anyone who practices oral sex without using fluid barriers such as a dental dam (yuck) is at risk for HSV and HPV transmission as a matter of routine. Condoms help but since HSV can be present on areas not covered or protected by a condom this does not offer immunity.

The bottom line is that with each new partner you take on new risks. Being fluid/fluid free with current or prior partners for 4 weeks and then getting a standard STI screen (HIV; Chlamydia; Gonorrhea; Syphilis) along with a recent internal exam for a woman and a "look-see" for a guy really is about the best that one can do.

If you're poly, or have many partners you will, or already have multiple strains of HPV and you will or have HSV-1 & HSV-2. It's simple and it's a bummer, but its real. The best one can hope for if they want many partners is that they become an asymptomatic carrier of HSV. As mentioned before here, acyclovir can go a long way in preventing (at least for a while) transmission of a known HSV sufferer to one who might not have it, plus the acyclovir usually lessens the size/frequency and duration of a visible HSV lesion.

The safest methodology is to have longer, higher quality relationships with fewer lifetime partners--something that many in the bdsm realm simply are not interested in. Still, I believe that agreeing to be serially monogamous, and going 4-6 weeks without having had fluid/fluid transfer between humans, and then going together to a place like Planned Parenthood, get the results and then go for it. At least HIV, which is always deadly becomes a non-issue, and the major problematic STI's are also defined as a non-issue.

You are incorrect that clinics will only test for HIV.  That is simply not the case, and it varies from clinic to clinic--jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  Different clinics cater to different clientele, have varying levels of local, state, federal and private funding, and offer different services accordingly.  MANY public health clinics do offer much more comprehensive STD testing You simply have to just ask for it--there are some clinics that are strictly funded to do HIV testing, but many public health centers can  and do a lot more.