Condoms are pretty damn effective when used properly
they require latex safe lube if there isn't enough moisture though as they don't hold up well to friction. They also don't protect very well when then aren't on the guys dick during all instances of penetration.
I believe the best way to prevent disease is to not sleep with ignorant people. You would be amazed at how powerful denial can be, or at least I was because from my experience the mistakes that I made was assuming the people I was involved with were educated or at least knew the basics of sexual health, So I have been more than a little upset due to thinking I we had talked about sexual health yet down the road it was an instance of
are you fucking kidding me!?!?
and my view was that they simply didn't want to deal with any thoughts that might be hard to deal with, which in my book was just plain ignorance on their part which told me (with actions but not words) they didn't give a fuck about me. But luckily to this day I have never had an sexually transmitted disease.
When it comes to sexual health, you would be doing yourself a favor by being very detailed, and yeah it can be sort of a sexual buzzkill, but I have heard it all:
*people who agree to use condoms when having sex with others, but didn't know I meant they more than just finishing with a condom.
*people who thought that I only meant vaginal penetration and not any penetration
*people who who didn't realize agree to fully disclose when/if they have sex with others yet had unprotected sex with me and they were going to tell when the time the right, but for me if someone agrees to keep another informed, as in the rule was honesty, that doesn't mean waiting for the right situation.
Viruses are a very peculiar bunch, and even with new tests out there, the meaning of the answers are very easy to misinterpret, even doctors have a tendency to do it (be ignorant). Strains from the HPV family of virus are so prevalent that most doctors do you not order tests as the overwhelming majority of people been exposed, have had the little buggers in their body, but their body is dealing with it just fine, and there isn't little virusi out and about mingling with all the rest of your body's cells
But personally, I would be fuming mad at anybody who passed on HSV II, because even if your partner has it, it is not transmitted unless there is an outbreak. And it is hard for me to believe that a person who has HSV II can not know when that occurs, HSV II transmission is usually due to ignorance and denial and NOT unavoidable accidents. I really am in no place to say so, because I don't herpes, but as I understand it, the outbreaks or sores don't move. That days before sores appear the area is tender and you would have to be fairly ignorant to think gee, that's weird, that part of my genitals that seems to hurt the other day now has a sore, it's probably nothing and I know it's kind of a dick move to have sex with my girlfriend when I haven't seen a doctor about these sores but it's probably nothing
but after that harsh generalization I should say that people may seriously be that ignorant, or that self-conscious and utterly-stupid-under-the-influence-of-horny and technically be dumb enough to not know they have herpes, but my point is that people like that are fucking dangerous. Child labor is the only thing that can truly bring on a sudden onset/outbreak of sores caused by herpes virus, so if they aren't going into labor and they pass herpes to your partner, it's likely they had some indication they had sores, that is also a good indication they need to mature a little more before you can engage in sex and maintain yours your partner's sexual health.
It sounds stupid and a mood killer to have a talk with your lovers that gets as specific as, have you ever had so much sex you were sore? Will you promise that if your dick is sore for any reason, you'll tell me and especially if it's sore for no reason, because if you are too much of a pussy to tell me or talk with me or too embarassed about this subject and you give me a disease I am going to burn your house down
Again I am not an authority but I know people who have herpes and thank God they are mature enough to talk about it and because of their maturity level I am far more trusting of a knowledgeable, educated, responsible woman with herpes than I am with a ignorant, irresponsible, uneduacted drug and disease free girl.
people make mistakes and they may be innocently ignorant, if they are, you would be wise to refrain from sex with them
The most common form of "tesing" for HPV is pap smears screening for cervical cancer, which if it progresses, will likely mean a complete hysterectomy which happens to be a very serious matter. There are many misconceptions the the majority of the world has in regards to the medical industry's " handle on issues like cancer and viruses. Because honestly the medical industry doesn't know jack shit compared to the public's imagine or view that mankind believes that the Good Doctors knows.
I do not put much stock in to the theory that condoms (when used properly) do not protect against HPV. If you don't always start without a condom and there are any instances of unprotected penetration, sure, my personal opinion is that data collected in studies that make these claims fails to realize that people lie. People get caught red handed and will still swear up and down on the bible and their mother's good name and it really is a shame because that is the why psychiatry is so far behind other medical fields is because they just don't seem to understand they are dealing with humans which are probably around 90-95% two faced liars.
The truth is, all they know about viruses is what they do and what they are made of, just tiny fragment strand of genetic info. But if you believe that scientists have "seen" them as in gotten an honest to God visual picture of them using an electron microscope, I feel sorry for you. But there is a whole pack of lies that the world believes to be true, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why the lies are necessary but I've never gotten any straight answers.
In full disclosure, I should through it out there that very few 'experts' would agree with me and my views are what is considered delusional or crazy conspiracy. But remember these words, because it won't be long until everything comes to light, but you will be able to recognize slightly before hand, because before the world opens it's eyes to The Truth, the same foolish people who justified history's lies as necessary evil will continue to deny right up to the end without ever realizing just how outlandish and desperate andobvious they have become and it will not be pretty. Search google or youtube for " The Night of the Hunter (1955) - River Boat Scene " and listen to the preacher's scream when the two kids just barely escape and the dude goes nuts. That scream is the sign of the beast. The root source of denial and lies, the reason the world can deny that love is good and hence poly people have to be closeted, why the world is full of a people whose minds are so clouded with lies, seemingly insignificant lies that prevent so much good, love, truth and knowledge.
Sorry bout right the hand turn veer way off into left field