Back when I was escorting, I was frequently tested for STIs. Monthly, in fact. Now that I'm on the "other side" I haven't been tested since I left escorting for good in May.
I feel... strange. Like I'm letting something go, like I'm being irresponsible. Why, you ask? It's not that I tested positive for anything. I'm a freak about using condoms and only having anal sex (the riskiest form of intercourse) with clients I knew and trusted.
Perhaps it's because, in many cases, sex workers actually have better safe sex practices than "regular" people. The more I think about it, the more I believe it. While sex workers are, by and large, loathed and pitied and dismissed as unfortunates in society, we're ahead of the pack in many ways.
Yes, I spent nearly two years picking up strangers and having sex with them. But pray tell, readers: Wasn't I safer about it than most people? For instance, my agent always knew where I was, and who I was with. I always used protection, and had previously agreed as to what exactly the client and I would be doing.
How many people can say the same?
I still think there's a lot that the general public can learn from sex workers, at least the ones at the high end of the industry. For instance, regular STI testing is so very, very important. And yet, so many people fail to do it. Herpes, gonorrhea, HIV/AIDS -- all terrible conditions, but preventable and manageable with the proper precautions and treatments.
So with that, I'd like to make a plea: If you haven't been tested within the past year, please do so now. If you enjoy my blog, if you enjoy my writing, then do it in my honor. It's truly the best gift you can give yourself!
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