LivingnLA

An important clarification: HPV does not spread through an intact latex condom. But, like all of the skin contact spreadable STIs, HPV can easily spread from skin contact. If you suck an infected cock without a condom, it's possible to be infected with all known STIs though infection rates vary from very easy for something like HPV to pretty hard for something like HIV. Consider this scenario: think about jacking off an infected cock and then touching your cock, boom! You've transmitted some infectious agents that might colonize your cock. Herpes and HPV can spread easily via touch. Syphilis is also spreadable by touch if there's an open sore. Molluscum contagiosum is too. So too are scabies and pubic lice (crabs) though completely hairless guys are not attractive to lice. Good comprehensive STI testing for men who have sex with men includes throat and anal swabs because some STIs can colonize the throat or rectum and not show up on blood and urine tests. Life is full of risks. Educate yourself and live accordingly.

Life contains risks. Being a mature responsible adult means educating yourself about those risks, learning how to mitigate them, and living your life the way you want without being a dick about it. If you are having sex with someone else, it is your ethical responsibility to be honest just as it's their responsibility to be honest with you too. There are highly resistant strains of all major STIs and infection rates are increasing fast for many STIs because people are not using condoms for oral, anal, and vaginal sex with strangers. Men who have sex with men are a high risk demographic. Escorts and porn stars are a high risk demographic. Why? Because both tend to have large numbers of different sexual partners and they often engage in condomless sexual contact. The safest sex we are aware of currently involves the proper use of condoms, consistent daily PrEP, and appropriate vaccines. Anything less is going to be riskier. If you decide to live a riskier life, that's your choice. Know the risks. Educate yourself. Get testing regularly. Be a man and be responsible for your choices.

He's cute but his location information says Philidelphia. @Westsideguy, you probably should update the title for this thread, because Philly is apparently his home location and his gps says he was there at 2 am today.

That hits close to home for some of the families we know.

Piercing an infant's ears inflicts pain and imposes a gendered aesthetic without consent or regard for the infant. I do not agree with it, though, it's usually something that typically heals if the tissues aren't overly modified. The nerve tissue removed by circumcision cannot be restored so I don't consider these completely comparable.

Please seek help. Don't try and tough it out. Depression is no joke and there are many ways to help but you have to be proactive. Start with baby steps and build from there. source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/men-and-depression/index.shtml How can I help myself if I am depressed? Seeking help sooner than later can relieve symptoms quicker and reduce the length of time treatment is needed. Other things that may help include: Spending time with other people and talking with a friend or relative about your feelings Increasing your level of physical activity. Regular exercise can help people with mild to moderate depression and may be one part of a treatment plan for those with severe depression. Talk with your health care professional about what kind of exercise is right for you. Breaking up large tasks into small ones, and tackling what you can as you can. Don't try to do too many things at once Delaying important decisions until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well. Keeping stable daily routines. For example, eating and going to bed at the same time every day. Avoiding alcohol As you continue treatment, gradually you will start to feel better. Remember that if you are taking an antidepressant, it may take several weeks for it to start working. Try to do things that you used to enjoy before you had depression. Go easy on yourself. Where can I go for help? If you are unsure of where to go for help, ask your family doctor or health care provider. You can also find resources online including the NIMH website at www.nimh.nih.gov/FindHelp, or check with your insurance carrier to find someone who participates in your plan. Hospital doctors can help in an emergency.

I have a few years to go before I turn 50. My libido has declined from my 20s when I would cum 2-3 times every day, nearly all with my wife or rosy palms. My 30s saw me slow down to 5-10 times a week and my 40s have so far been 3-5 times a week. Feeling lonely sometimes is completely normal and so are questions around careers, relationships, and life. A "loss of interest in life in general" is a classic symptom of depression. If these feelings seem to weigh you down or you're feeling unhappy, I encourage you to shift some discretionary spending to pay for a few sessions with a good psychotherapist. It's often useful to talk through things with an impartial third party. If you don't want to talk to a therapist, I urge you to discuss this with your primary care physician because there are pharmaceutical treatment options as well. If you don't want to do that, then I urge you to force yourself to exercise, volunteer for charities, go get a relaxing therapeutic massage, find a social hiking, cycling, or other outdoor group because spending time in nature can be powerful, or even a book club or other social networking group for a favorite hobby. Our society tends toward isolation and that is deeply unhealthy for social primates like us. It's very important for you to take this seriously and figure out ways to reconnect with humanity because you are not alone and you do not have to live with depression.

I haven't been hiring for as long or as extensively as many forum members, but my hiring has slowed recently. It's a combination of factors. The market is full of providers who superficially are my type but quickly fall apart during a session. My skepticism is high with unknown providers since rates are consistently in the $300-$500/hr range. I'm fine with these rates if I'm confident in a provider's ability to provide the desired experience. Unfortunately, the small number of providers I'm confident in are popular and very busy or my schedule makes it impossible to set up a session. 2020 will hopefully be a better year.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/new-england-gay-bars-4123376 https://spartacus.gayguide.travel/saunas/northamerica/usa/rhodeisland/providence/37827_Gay+Mega+Plex.The https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-megaplex-providence-2 I have never been but these reviews all suggest it's the kind of place that's rundown, not well maintained, and kind of rough. That could be very intriguing or it could be disappointing. It all depends on what you're looking for and what you expect. Probably why the yelp reviews are so extreme: people either love it or hate it.

There are a few previous posts on the forum about him: https://m4m-forum.org/threads/traveling-to-orange-county.148713/post-1719352 https://m4m-forum.org/threads/411-on-marcomuscle-in-san-diego.139680/ https://m4m-forum.org/threads/411-on-troy-in-oc.140592/

I only have vague memories of pat downs because I never went through a body scanner. They were always in public. I didn't want to waste time going to a room and it served as a teachable moment for my kids after the TSA person was done. I switched to precheck years ago and haven't needed to even think about them since. I do know pat downs have become more thorough according to the TSA. The pat downs I recall were fairly conventional and unremarkable. The only one I remember, was a built redhead in Chicago who was very thorough and seemed slower than others. Almost as if he was cupping my cock and balls instead of the perfunctory way others were back then. Could've just been my imagination since I have a weakness for redheads, male or female.

Given how many pics he has, I'm guessing he believes in a picture being worth a thousand words.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing. That sounds like something you might want to explore with a good therapist. There are many options that may be able to help. I only mention it because you started with how sad you sometimes were over your "reliance on massage" and your avoidance behavior sounds maladaptive. A good therapist can help.

Where's the truth in advertising?

Humans generally need some touch for mental and physical health. I am glad to see so many people taking care of themselves. Please do not put your financial stability at risk though! It's not worth it to endanger the rest of your life. If you honestly are spending more than you can afford, I urge you to stop and think about it. Find a therapist to talk to because it isn't healthy to self sabotage your life. Create a budget, stick to it, and find one or more male bodyworker(s) that you have fun with and enjoy!

@Mplsgymguy makes an interesting point about the RM UI. When I looked at the search page, the Cut and Uncut check boxes are right below the Size slider, which I imagine most English speakers would associate together. Presumably this is simply a misunderstanding caused by differences in culture and language?

I'm sorry my word choice was offensive, but to me an unnecessary irreversible physical modification done without consent is a form of violence. And the reason I mentioned it was as part of the contextual explanation of the use of intact to describe male humans who are uncircumcised since I believe that's part of the background driving the use of intact. Regarding perception of circumcision, I hear you and agree that to someone from an English culture, that does seem like it would be clear. However, I maintain that many non English speaking cultures where circumcision isn't a significant part of the lived experience would likely not understand the use of cut and uncut if they don't know the English word foreskin.

Cut is an example of American slang that is completely confusing out of context, especially when cut has also historically been used to describe a ripped muscular body. Intact seems to be popular because of the implicit subtext of violence in the act of circumcision and the lack of consent. Our sons are intact because we felt it should be their choice to be circumcised. Teaching proper hygiene seemed reasonable to us. The shift in America over the last few decades has been rapid but is highly regional. Western states have rates of 40% or less in 2010. Midwestern states still had circumcision rates over 70%. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/26/americans-truly-are-exceptional-at-least-when-it-comes-to-circumcision/

There's no way for us to know without a qualified medical professional actually seeing the "quarter size red area on the trunk of his dick" and making a diagnosis. How do you know it wasn't a rash? I'm glad it wasn't bumpy or oozing. Irritation from wearing a jock? I guess it's possible if the jock was pressing a circular spot for an extended period of time and irritated the skin. Did it look like this? http://images.agoramedia.com/everydayhealth/gcms/Whats-Wrong-With-Your-Skin-10-1440x810.jpg

Welcome to the forum @Lvidoc and thanks for posting! 1. Eat fiber, at least 25g daily, hydrate enough, and have an unhurried bowel movement routine. 2. Be patient. Work with a skilled top. Don't focus on size. Skill matters. 3. If you decide to douche, know the risks. 4. Also, understand the risks of receptive anal sex and make sure your top wears a condom if you're concerned about sexually transmitted infections. "I'm on PrEP" is not enough. There are plenty of other risks besides HIV and there are already resistant strains of HIV in the wild. Some of my prior posts in this forum on this topic: https://m4m-forum.org/threads/clients-learning-to-bottom.135459/page-2#post-1494304 https://m4m-forum.org/threads/douche-too-often.127943/#post-1351077 https://m4m-forum.org/threads/very-big-to-me-needs-some-advices.141245/#post-1596496 https://m4m-forum.org/threads/anal-prepping-is-bad-for-you.148835/page-2#post-1722702

No it isn't appropriate for two basic reasons: the OP didn't ask for advice about his weight and we have no knowledge about his genetic/environmental/medical issues. There are many reasons for someone to be overweight and a large number of them are not directly controllable. Without far more information, we have no idea and no valid basis to say something like was said above. We don't even know if he's medically obese! All he's said pertains to the extreme lookism he's experienced. The statements by gymowner and others are loaded with implicit assumptions based on illusions of "control" and "will" that are frankly condescending and elitist. Given what's been shared so far, those comments are counterproductive and potentially harmful.

@Realalist thank you for sharing so honestly. Your willingness to be so vulnerable is a good sign of underlying courage and strength. I urge you to use your money to work with a therapist to unpack these negative self-concepts and change the mental habits that reinforce them. This isn't about your physical weight or appearance. It's about how you see and think of yourself. You need help in seeing the real you, not the distorted vision in your mind. I'm not going to say "get in the gym" because I do not know your life. Weight management is a very individualized issue because genetics, economics, psychology, some injuries, and more all affect our weight. The only person able to answer this is you in consultation with your doctor(s) to determine what's best for your health and quality of life. To address your original question, I urge you to filter your escort search for escorts who say things like "all types welcome," "all sizes welcome," or "all body types welcome" and the like. I also urge you to describe yourself some-what when you contact the escort because you want them to self-select and be able to create the fantasy you want. To do that, they need to know a little about you. Escorts are paid professionals but they're still human beings. Bigotry is fundamentally human. Why would you want to waste time with a bigot who has an issue with your ethnicity, age, weight, or whatever? You do not need that kind of negativity in your life. You deserve much better and there are plenty of humans who would be happy to know you. Make it easier for you and them to find each other.

We are seeing historic highs for multiple sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and Congenital Syphilis have been going up for years. To make matters worse, treatment resistant strains are becoming more common too. There are far too many people who do not get tested regularly for everything who are engaging in freuquent condomless sexual contact with strangers. All of these infections are easily spread by condomless oral sex, condomless anal sex, and condomless vaginal sex. Men who are infected often have no symptoms which makes it easy for them to spread the infections far and wide. Which is probably why congenital cases are increasing, too many guys having condomless sex and then going home to infect their girlfriends and wives. If you are sexually active, please be responsible. Get tested regularly for everything and don't engage in condomless sex with people you do not actually trust and know are responsible enough to be tested regularly and be honest about their status. https://www.alarms.org/std-statistics/ https://ehealthynews.com/2019/10/10/americas-sexually-transmitted-disease-rates-are-out-of-control-msnnow/

I'm glad you're okay now. Massage can be dangerous, especially when someone untrained doesn't know what they're doing and they use too much force in the wrong way. Pain shouldn't be part of massage any way but untrained providers and a sad number of so called professionals don't keep up on current research.

I gave your comment a thumbs up because plastic wrap is better than nothing, but I don't believe it's ever been studied as a safe alternative to a dam. If you use plastic wrap, I suggest at least a couple layers since it's much thinner than even the thinnest dam. http://advocatesaz.org/2016/01/04/std-awareness-can-i-use-plastic-wrap-as-a-dental-dam-during-oral-sex/ Sheer glyde dams are my favorite dam for oral vaginal or oral anal sex. They are natural latex though, so don't use them if someone has a latex allergy.