Dear Jordan,
I
just got back from a trip overseas where I had sex with a very sexy
foreign man. It was definitely a casual thing and we haven’t kept up
any type of friendship since I returned home. However the other day I
got curious about him and visited his Facebook account. He
lists himself as a bi-sexual man, which totally freaked me out! We used
condoms and stuff, but am I at a higher risk for STIs?
Thanks,
Stressed OUT
Dear S.O.,
Whenever we have casual sex with anyone
we are putting ourselves at risk for sexually transmitted infections
(STIs). We have no idea about our partners’ sexual habits or history.
The fact that your recent partner is a bisexual certainly isn’t
something to be alarmed over. You have no idea whether that means he
enjoys frequent, bareback sex with boys at gay clubs or whether it
means he is simply bi-curious – likely he falls into a category
somewhere in between. Just as with any other casual encounter you
really have no idea what he’s into! I’m so happy to hear that you used
condoms. A condom is the only thing, aside from abstaining, that will
prevent you from contracting an STI. Imagine the stress you’d be
experiencing today if you had forgotten to wrap it up! That said,
whenever you engage in casual sex you should visit your doctor for
regular sexual health screenings. Do not be shy and make sure to ask
your doctor for “the works” and get tested for EVERYTHING. All it takes is a quick vaginal culture and a blood draw and you’ll be on your way to a little piece of mind. If
you are really worried about HIV you’ll want to schedule a screening
now and again in six months, as the HIV virus takes a few months from
infection to show up positive in a blood test. But definitely don’t
spend the next six months worrying too much about it. Condoms are very
effective in preventing HIV and a host of other infections.
Congratulations on the hot foreign lay, and kudos to you and safe sex!
Good luck!
Jordan
Originally published October 2008