Health Issues With Hustling
OK, first off, sorry that I haven't updated this thread in about a month. I can't belive how time flies. It sure doesn't seem like it's been that long. I've been spending quite a bit of time over at my parents house since we have had a lot of visiting out of state relatives this summer. And my dad nearly broke his leg falling off a ladder and was out of work for a few days. Plus there have been the holidays, and just the great summer weather for hanging out at the beach and all. So again, sorry for the delay.
So this topic is answers the question that I was asked a bit ago: "Weren't you afraid to catch a Sexually Transmitted Disease/Infection?" The answer to the question is "No". Let me explain why.
Afraid is the wrong word to use first off. Concerned would be a better way to ask the question. And yea, later on I did start to get concerned. When I first started hustling it was more about playing the game for fun with all cares to the wind rather than worrying about the consequences. I'd have a good time with someone, go home and jack off some more remembering it, and then wait until the next time I could get out. Getting a disease or infection was the last thing on my mind.
Of course, by this time I had heard about HIV/AIDS and knew what it was, but really didn't have any more information about it more than you got it from sex, some people got really sick, and some people died. To me it sounded a lot like any other type of sickness. You get one, you may get sick from it, and it may kill you. And there are so many different kinds of diseases and infections out there that there is no way you can protect yourself from not contracting any of them.
A good one, for instance, is diabetes. I'm diabetic. And my doctor hates me because I'm not going to let it ruin or control my life, so I do some things that a normal diabetic wouldn't do. I still eat candy, drink caffeinated sodas, and eat a lot of breads and pizza. But I have knocked down the amount of those things to drop my A1C (Blood Sugar Level) from an 11 to an 8, working my way down to a 6. My doctor wants me to cut all these out completely and I basically told him where he could go. I'm concerned about the diabetes, but I'm not afraid of it.
When I was hustling, and even today when I do a random hook-up and stuff, I was putting a tremendous amount of trust in people that I didn't know, and most likely would never see again. Did they have and STD or HIV? I didn't know. I guess I was overly trusting that someone who did have something like that wouldn't be dumb enough to go have sex with someone and knowingly spread it. I never went out if I had a bad cough or a slight cold not wanting to make someone else sick. But I was young and naive, and also a bit horny.
The worst thing I've ever gotten from hustling is the pubic crabs. And OMG did that make me freak out. I'm pretty much not one for bugs to begin with, and this sent me over the edge.
A couple of days after a hookup I started to really itch around my dick and balls. It was annoying because I couldn't sit still in class, I was always moving around, and pretty much had a hand down my pants scratching the whole time. I finally went to the restroom and yanked my pants down to give a good scratching when I saw them. I could hardly concentrate the rest of the afternoon knowing that there were these bugs that were climbing all over my dick and balls. I ran home, got one of my moms tweezers, and sat in the bathroom plucking out all the little hairs that they were on. It took me a couple of hours, but I finally got them all. But OMG, that was an adventure.
I can't imagine living in fear of ever getting crabs again. It may happen, and I'll deal with it. Just like I can't imagine living in fear of coming down with a disease or STD. I already got one disease with no fault of my own, and it had nothing to do with sex. Living in fear of it is like living in fear of getting hit by a bus. There are thousands of them around here, and I usually walk in front of a dozen or so a day. If I lived in fear of them I'd never get close to the street. I'm not going to live in fear of a sex disease because I enjoy sex and it is something I want to continue to do, like crossing the street.
But it's also not that I'm not concerned. I think I take a few more precautions now that I didn't do before. On Grindr they have a spot now to say if you are positive or negative for HIV and when the last time you were tested, and I generally give that a look if I'm thinking about hooking up with a guy. I will generally ask if there is no indication and if the guy doesn't want to answer I don't hold it entirely against him, but it does knock the chances down a bit now. I also have a "Little Book of Hookups" that I've been keeping since I was 16. It tells who I was with, where I met them, what did they look like, where did we go, and just basic details so if someone is dumb enough to tell me that they are clean and I end up getting something, I have a record that I can go back to. Plus it's fun to read it every now and then and remember some experiences.
For me, the biggest thing is that you can't live in fear of what life is going to throw at you. Because if you do it will be something else that takes you out. If I die because I had a diabetic seizure from eating a thick Chicago style pizza, they at least I'm going out happy. If the roller coaster derails at least I'll have enough time to say "oh shit" on the way down. And if I get eaten by a shark in the ocean at least my parents will say that I loved the water.
I say be concerned and take precaution, but don't let it control you.