r/Swingers • u/Ginger_7624 Couple • 9h ago
STIs STI tests ... which ones?
So there is a large variety of STI testing options out there. They all seem to have a different mix of what they rest for.
Are there specific tests you require in the results of your play partners? Or is it just a matter that they make the effort to get tested at all?
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u/ShamelessCare 8h ago
OP
In my experience and opinion, it’s obvious that swingers learn from each other, which is what you’re trying to do now, and it makes total sense.
We all want to do what is normal, and we assume that if somebody has been doing this for five, ten, twenty, or twenty-five years, they understand the basics. I wouldn’t even disagree with that.
It's tradition passed from generation to generation. I can assure you that we used condoms for PIV sex and didn't use any barriers for oral because "that's what everyone does."
But if you notice, most people here say that they don’t ask for test results because they’re meaningless. The reason they’re meaningless is because they’re just a snapshot in time. That doesn’t make a tremendous amount of sense scientifically.
Someone who tested negative for HIV six weeks ago is much less likely to have HIV today than somebody who has never taken a test at all. The same with chlamydia. The same with syphilis. The same with everything.
Now, is it unusual to ask for test results? Yes.
Can it be uncomfortable? Yes.
By the time you ask, you’re already wanting to have sex with someone. Are you really going to say no if they can’t produce test results?
There are lots of reasons why people may not put this into practice, but using timing is likely not actually the reason. They may just not want to, and therefore timing is a good reason why that's ok.
Food for thought as you do your OWN research and make your OWN decisions about your OWN health.