Heh, depends on how you define lonely. I am after all, not friendless. As for my reasons, as the cliche goes, personal.

Although now I live in paranoia over which 3 people think I am gay. Nah, just kidding. ;)

Thanks to all who responded. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Thank you Melusine. I could walk out in front of a bus tomorrow and be dead. Condoms are pretty good protection against STDs and pregnancy and have a fairly low failure rate.

Earthdog - It's no good telling the young'uns (which I'm not by the way, I'm 31 and have never been pregnant or caught an STD) to abstain from sex, because that's not (or rarely) gonna happen. Instead make sure they are educated about birth control and health.</font>[/QUOTE]Sorry about the double quote thing here but in this case I need them both.

Epona I wasnt saying you were a teen, that was more directed at the creator of the topic. I assumed the he/she was a teen because most people in their 30s arent celebate.

My mother worked for the University of Texas Health Science Center ar Dallas, also known as Southwestern Medical School. Or Parkland Hospital which is where they took JFK when he was assassinated. Ive gone into the Med school library and read the latest on HIV.

Remember a few years ago when the surgeon generals report came out and the big concern was Breast Implants causing cancer??? What you didnt hear about were the 70 odd pages about HIV and AIDS. Condoms are good for preventing certain STDs; however, HIV isnt one of them. In order for a male to not get HIV from a female carrier he must wear a condom, only use half of it and make sure that ANY area not covered does NOT get wet. If it does hes in big trouble.

Doctors tried to recommend a design for condoms that would cover the entire hip area and thus prevent contact on areas that are not traditionally covered by condoms. No manufacturer was interested in creating such a product. Not cost effective.

Something else that was in this section was a list of over 200 insects that can carry and transmit HIV and AIDS. Mosquitos, ticks, spiders, and cockroaches are just a few.

Also without confirmation by blood test the only outward symptom of an individual having AIDS is CHRONIC diarrhea. Meaning diarrhea for 30 days strait or more.

Condoms and the pill are great in conjunction when it comees to birth control. That, however, has no bearing whatsoever, when it comes to HIV OR AIDS.

Stay celebate and save yourself alot of hassles. If you choose to end the celebacy I suggest blood tests for you and your partner. Ya need to be sure.

[ 05-27-2002, 03:20 AM: Message edited by: Earthdog ]

"Doctors tried to recommend a design for condoms that would cover the entire hip area and thus prevent contact on areas that are not traditionally covered by condoms. No manufacturer was interested in creating such a product. Not cost effective."

Thats what the handy saran wrap and condom combo are for ;)

CALEB!!!! ROFLMFAO! Oh shit, I'm never gonna be able to look at saran wrap again after that! You git [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I suggest you watch the comedy Booty Call starring Jamie Fox, Vivica A. Fox, and Tommy Davidson. Good saran wrap tutorial in there ;)

In all honesty Dundee, I think it is possible to get a littlt *too* paranoid about HIV. It is a virus, and as such is pretty fragile. It is much less contagious and hardy than the common cold, and cannot survive for long outside of the body. It does not readily absorb through the skin - the main danger is directly from blood or other body fluids.

I would think that the chances of becoming infected in the manner you describe are infinitesimally small, one in a million chance at worst - the biggest risk is of the condom breaking. You are probably more likely to pick up HIV at the dentists.

That's not to say you should be complacent about it, but there is a difference between healthy caution and protection, and what seems, IMO at least, to be verging on hysteria (that comment not aimed at you, but at the lack of education some people seem to have about HIV, no offense intended).

[ 05-27-2002, 06:12 AM: Message edited by: Epona ]

That movie was classic. Pretty much covered it.. er, uh, you know what I mean durnit [img]smile.gif[/img]

Dundee whats your definition of celibate? Do you consider someone that..uhh..Self services celibate? [img]smile.gif[/img] You never know. Some girls consider themselves virgins because they do not have vaginal sex with a guy.

[ 05-27-2002, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: caleb ]

That isnt entirely accurate. If a female carrier gets vaginal fluid on male body parts its the same thing as the male not having protection on at all. Like I said, Ive done the reasearch and not just what I heard on the news. I went to a med school library and read the information first hand, not blindly accepted what the media has tried to give me. The female has much less to worry about if the male is the carrier and is wearing protection.

The reason most people dont know this is because of all the women that have breast implants. They took precedence over HIV. So the report on HIV barely got glossed over if at all by the media. If everyone in the world knew how many insects could carry and transmit HIV and AIDS there would be a world wide panic. Hard to find a place that doesnt have mosquitos spiders or cockroaches. and the list goes on.......