I’m convinced that the risk of catching an STD is overblown

[something_else]

I often see people who sleep around being shamed with comments like, “You’re going to catch an STD.”

And yeah, the risk definitely increases the more partners you have, and the more partners your partners have had.

That said, I’ve been pretty promiscuous over the past four years and haven’t caught anything. Honestly, I’m surprised by that, because I always grew up thinking that if you slept around, you’d almost certainly end up with an STD. I haven’t even picked up HSV-1 or HSV-2, which a huge percentage of people have.

Have I just been lucky? Or is STD risk in general just overblown? I always use condoms carefully and practise safe sex within reason, which I assume makes a big difference.

 

[Mada_]

Use condoms, get tested regularly. End of

[museumoftrees]

The risk is real. Don't go around spreading this kind of attitude.

[Riccurdo]

Yeah I have been promiscuous too and have some experience with STDs but I have done some pretty dumb things. 
 

I think if you use protection always and be picky which girls to pick, you are good to go. 

Edited 14 hours ago by Riccurdo

[pablo_aka_god]

Common sense here gets you 98% covered. if you lay a college girl/boy from a good family. chances of getting an STD are virtually 0.

If you lay very promiscuous and uneducated people I'd be more careful.

 

I've experienced unprotected sex with strangers during my 20s and it was really nice, always applying the common sense rule. Still I could have ruined my life w an undesired pregnancy.

but here I am: healthy and w no children.

Now in my 30s I'm more careful. not caring can be fun but won't get me far if I keep doing it

Edited 11 hours ago by pablo_aka_god

[something_else]

6 hours ago, museumoftrees said:

The risk is real. Don't go around spreading this kind of attitude.

There is a risk, but I think if you take proper precaution it isn't something that you need to be extremely anxious about. Obviously the risk is really high if you go sleeping around without a condom and you never get tested. Or if you don't know how to use a condom properly.

With the exception of HSV, the majority of commonly caught STDs are treated with a simple course of antibiotics as well.

HSV-2 is really the only STD that actually scares me because it's untreatable, has consequences and isn't prevented with a condom. But like I said, statistically I have almost certainly been exposed to it by now but somehow I don't have it.

Getting someone pregnant unintentionally is a FAR bigger risk than an STD.

[Elliott]

@something_else I don't understand your attitude, if you get herpes you're screwed, I assume you can get it through oral too. Antibiotics aren't great for you either, you're a 'biotic'. It's not worth cheap sex for me.

Edited 11 hours ago by Elliott

[Tenebroso]

Don't play around. Way more women are having casual sex than you think and there are a lot of down low bisexual men having unprotected sex with women and men.

[something_else]

40 minutes ago, Tenebroso said:

Don't play around. Way more women are having casual sex than you think

Believe me, I know, and I’m not complaining 

Quote

and there are a lot of down low bisexual men having unprotected sex with women and men.

It shocks me how many of my male friends are completely happy with having unprotected casual sex, and also how many of the girls I’ve been with were pleasantly surprised when I brought a condom out. In some cases some girls even asked not to use one.

My overall point is just that if you religiously use condoms and get regularly tested, I think the STD risk of regular casual sex is pretty minimal.

Herpes does scare me though, but again I’ve been very promiscuous and avoided it thus far.

 

[Hojo]

Same. 

You get tested for an STD you get an STD.

Edited 5 hours ago by Hojo

[ivankiss]

Depends where you live and the kind of people you're around, I'd say. 

In a small village in the middle of nowhere, the chances of you catching anything are very low. In a super busy, big and vibrant city, the chances are much higher.

But also, you can kind of smell it off the person, if you've got a good sniff.

Either way, don't be trashy, do things moderately and with caution. Most likely you won't catch anything if you're not going full on hoe mode.

I had a lot of sex in my life. But never in a trashy, distasteful way, where I would be juggling multiple partners at once, or doing one night stands with strangers mindlessly and sensesly. And that kept me safe and healthy.