Rafa

Carry condoms with you (as you should to a hookup/dating situation too) if you want to use them.
Don't count on the provider having them or being proactive in finding them (“I may have one somewhere … not too sure … I would have to look … do we really need one …?”)
And if the provider has any that haven’t been touched for years they may not be in the best condition.
 
 

I don't do the thing of giving a friend the identity/address of who I'm seeing and where I'm going, but i absolutely should and would if i could. I just don't have anyone I can give the "if i don't text you by the morning, call the police" responsibility to that also wouldn't ask a million questions as to why and what precisely I'm doing, and i have no intention of telling anyone in my life about this hobby of mine. 
Like others have said though, I always meet providers at a hotel in the lobby and then bring them up to my room/go with them up to their room. Or i go to their apartment, i definitely have less control and am taking more risk in that scenario and i don't really have any risk mitigation for that. A hotel and meeting in the lobby is the next best thing i can think to do for in person vetting. I also usually stay at hotels where the lobby is fairly populated and well lit. I have no issues about being seen meeting a provider in the lobby, no one around knows what we're going to do or how i know them, so that's not something i worry about. So it ends up being a nice mostly neutral place to meet them at where if something feels off, enough people are around i know that they aren't going to try anything and i can say "actually something's not right, no you can't come up to the room, sorry" if i need to (have never needed to do that though).

I don’t bring new providers into my home. The first meeting is always at their place or at a hotel. I also make sure one person knows where I am, who I’m with, and for how long.

I periodically have mentioned here in the forum that, on the rare occasion that I meet with a new person, I'll write down all the particulars about him on a piece of paper and leave it on the floor in the middle of my living room........that way, when my friends break down my door after a few days of no text or phone answers, they'll know who killed me...... 

This is one of the best replies.
Many, many years ago I fell into touch with a 28-29 year old provider who was a “scout” for possible high end providers for upscale clients. Think movie producers, actors, CEO’s, etc. He would visit strip shows etc. and recruit. Once or twice he had me try out one of his finds before they moved onto to the “big leagues” and out of my league.
It was ALL word of mouth, in person contact. No RM ads (or Frontiers ads as was the default back then!).