[faerietails2]

No, the point of this thread is to talk about bonbons!

Have one, pf. Perhaps your bitchy intent to kill off all STD talk on these boards is due to a sugar crash.

[psychicfemme]

The point of this poll is to raise consciousness about HIV testing, and how relatively rarely that discussion happens. Testing nowadays involves a mouth swab and a 20 minute wait for results. It's easy to assume you're safe because you don't think you're really at risk. But how many degrees of separation (as measured in sex partners) are there between you and an iv drug user or prostitute? And most of those who transmit the disease do not know they have it. I think it's useful to have this discussion, as HIV has not been discussed in this forum before as far as I can tell.

pf

[psychicfemme]

I don't have to be psychic to know that...

...your immaturity is entirely predictable

[faerietails2]

*shits a big ol' chocolatey mess*

selective quoting there, eh, pf? i think you missed the part on WHY this thread is stupid and kills discussion, so let me reiterate it: "it sounds like the originator of the thread is trying to "educate" us by using information s/he picked up at the free health clinic." throw in your superiority complex, and really...why would you expect people to give a shit?

[psychicfemme]

this thread is really bizarre. and not bizarre in a cool and intriguing way, bizarre in the sense that's it's weird and annoying.
this poll/thread is not offering much room for discussion or exchange of ideas.

There's plenty of room for discussion, but morons like yourself and your little bonbon clatch serve only to distract from the topic at hand. I encourage you to attempt to stretch your mind as fully as your belly, but I doubt that is even possible without creating quite a chocolate mess.

[pepper]

fiddler, that was just pure torture. unless you're planning on sticking some of that delightful chocolate into the mail for me Hush Up Girl! the bonbons i can handle just reading about but that... balsamic lavendar hand rolled truffles, argh, killing me!

[lilacwine13]

I think the thread's intention was to start up a conversation about bonbons.

[shinyx3]

thanks for this thread girls! it is totally cracking me up! and hey, who doesn't love bonbons? in fact, i may have to see if i can find myself some this afternoon.

[knorl05]

this thread is really bizarre. and not bizarre in a cool and intriguing way, bizarre in the sense that's it's weird and annoying.

this poll/thread is not offering much room for discussion or exchange of ideas. it sounds like the originator of the thread is trying to "educate" us by using information s/he picked up at the free health clinic. i, too, am up to date on the facts that are available to the public regarding hiv/aids by way of pamphlets, internet, and 5th grade health ed class.. as i'm sure most other busties are as well. and anyone who would think that we dont take this issue seriously IRL, is pretty damn out of touch. so as far as i'm concerned, i'm skeptical as to the real intention behind starting up this 'discussion' in the first place.

oh and btw, when i hear bonbon, i think of peg bundy..

[kittenb]

Need I say more? Thanks to kitten, fiddler, polly, faerie, lilac, ladyj, pepper, girly (I may have left a few out) for self-identifying...awesome!

I don't have to be psychic to know that you are just ridiculous. And I am in some good company in thinking that.

I will miss it when all the Halloween bon bons are gone.

[psychicfemme]

I plan to talk about my HIV status before having sex with anyone. That's not a problem with me. It's the talk about dental dams that I'm less looking forward to having. Very few people seem to know about them, let alone use them.

That's very wise hcbeck! Dental dams are probably most effective at preventing the spread of oral herpes (aka "cold sores") to your genitals, although there is a slim chance that hiv could be passed in this way as well. You should definitely talk about all the possible stds with your partner, including whether they have "cold sores" aka hsv1. And be careful cuz not everyone tells the truth about these things (and not all of us are psychic ). Ask for a report from their actual std test to be sure.

pf

[kiss_the_fiddler]

psych,

have some bon bons. chocolate is good for the soul. chocolate makes you happy. loosen up already. chocolate is yummy! bon bons for everybody!

fiddler

[girlygirlgag]

Need I say more? Thanks to kitten, fiddler, polly, faerie, lilac, ladyj, pepper, girly (I may have left a few out) for self-identifying...awesome!

Shove it, troll.

[faerietails2]

"Bonbon is also the French and German word for candy."

Well if that's the case, I've been stuffing my face with bonbons all day! Gotta love Halloween leftovers...yum!

[psychicfemme]

My test was done five months ago. blood test. negative. I was told to do the test again in six months.
I also had the std panel done. blood test. one positive. I was told to do the tests again in six months as well.

Hi Jami...yes, the reason they asked you to get tested again in 6 mos is because the test measures antibodies, not the virus itself, and it takes from 3-6 mos for the antibodies to show up in detectable form. So you should wait 3-6 months from your last unprotected partner to be sure, and you should be sure to practice safe sex in the meantime.

pf

[psychicfemme]

Yes, and it's easy to see who the 12 year olds are on this thread. Hopefully they'll come back when (if) they've grown up. In the meantime, I guess they'll be discussing bon bons, as is fitting to their emotional age.

pf

Need I say more? Thanks to kitten, fiddler, polly, faerie, lilac, ladyj, pepper, girly (I may have left a few out) for self-identifying...awesome!

[kiss_the_fiddler]

trivia on bon bons. thanks wikipedia.

In Europe a bonbon is a candy, the simplest form of bonbon is essentially sugar coated almonds. In the modern era the use of almonds as a centre has declined, and a bonbon can be any confection with a fondant center, often with fruit or nuts, covered in fondant or chocolate, or any other confection consisting of a sweet centre covered by a loose sugar or flavoured coating.[1][2] Although not technically a bon bon in the conventional sense, the term is also used in respect of Fruit Bon Bons, a hard boiled sweet with a soft fruit centre.

Bonbon is also the French and German word for candy.

i managed to only consume one bon bon today. such restraint.

fiddler

[kittenb]

You know, it was the cheap stuff, but there was some great free candy in all the stores I was in today. Bon Bons galore!

[psychicfemme]

Interesting poll and a fave topic of mine... I am always shocked by the way people will worry like crazy about pregnancy but not about catching HIV or STDs - last time I checked it was much easier to deal with an unwanted pregnancy than HIV (even allowing for the scary anti-choice types you have in the US).

I know my status and had all the tests you can get before we ditched the condoms. The weirdest thing is the way people start off being 'careful' but once they've been together a while they ditch the full rubber jacket and switch to the pill. Just because you now have some history together doesn't cancel out what they got up to before you met them! And sure, it's hotter without condoms, but not so hot that it's worth risking your health for.

I know from experience how easy it is to assume the best about someone's sexual health - although fortunately through getting something that was easily treatable, but it really hammers home the lesson.

Seems to me that protecting yourself and others is pretty basic ethics for anyone getting busy. Don't want to sound judgemental here - I'm speaking from experience not from a soapbox - but I worry that people underestimate the risks - OK, you may not get HIV but you can easily get herpes, chlamydia etc...

Awesome post beck! It's so true how people get complacent about things because they don't think they are really at risk. Partners tend not to be readily forthcoming about infidelities either, and that's all it takes to put you into a risk category.

Also, testing for most stds is free at your local free clinic. The HIV test is now a mouth swab and a 20 minute wait for results. So get tested, and also make sure your partner does also BEFORE you have unprotected sex.

pf

[psychicfemme]

Psychicfemme is reminding me of a counselor I had at bible camp who tried to have a serious and frank discussion about sex with 12 year olds.

Yes, and it's easy to see who the 12 year olds are on this thread. Hopefully they'll come back when (if) they've grown up. In the meantime, I guess they'll be discussing bon bons, as is fitting to their emotional age.

pf