Condoms are not completely safe.
[QUOTE=F Scott; 1829409]Brothers,
I think you all are missing the point, but maybe I'm the one who's not getting it. It is not only the STD one has to worry about, it is the possibility of passing it along to your wife / SO, and what I imagine will be the conversation that starts the End Of The World!
Whether one can live a reasonable life with AIDS or not, or how easy the treatment for these other scary diseases is, how do you tell your wife / children / inlaws / friends / colleagues how you got it? And no one believes it comes from toilet seats, Nando!
In the end, this may just be one of those topics, like politics or religion, where it is best to let things drop. I will continue to play it safe, and I hope never to read a post like Joe's on this thread ever again. Ask him if he would have done things differently and I bet the answer will be a resounding "yes"!
Peace,
Scott[/QUOTE]Guys. If you're worried about the risks. Then don't play the game.
Yes condoms reduce the risk of many things, but they aren't 100% effective against HSV-1/2, HPV, and molluscum (not just for kids) etc. If you love DATY or BBBJ, then other STD's come into play as well.
If you're worried about a SO or a spouse, then there is no 100% way to keep them safe. Period. You can do risk management, and using condoms is a significant part of that plan. However, don't think just because you're using condoms your not taking risks.
Also- Plan B is essentially a 'Hail Mary'. Plan B's efficacy is 87. Compare that to withdrawal used effectively at 96% and condoms at 98% and you'll see what I mean. Over the years, I've only had to girl friends (before I was married) have to use Plan B. The first was an incredibly hot Korean MILF in LA who wouldn't agree to a condom. She didn't tell me until after I came that she wasn't on BC. The lesson I learned that night was that you always have the "talk" before going bare.
The talk involves two very important subjects. One. Are you on BC. Two. If you become pregnant will you have an abortion. The answers help me do risk management even though I use condoms.
A percentage I can live with
I'll take 98% effective over zero any day! As has been pointed out, it's not just what [I]you[/I] do, but what, and who, your baby's been doing in her spare time that comes into play.
Of course there's no such thing as 100% certainty in life, but I like my odds better than BB by a mile! Plus, I truly wonder if those "faithful" babies really are. I can think of four brothers right off the bat who discovered their SBs were "monogamous" with several other guys as well, and one was going bare with all of them!
To each his own, however. I'll continue to play with a helmet on. Like ChiGuy, I find the slight loss of sensation helps me to last like a porn star. Well, that and a little help from my blue friend!
Peace,
Scott