SafestSex.org is not a hook-up site or a social network. Unlike many social networks and hook-up sites, SafestSex.org members cannot search for or communicate with other members. Rather, SafestSex.org is designed to help its members keep STD test results up to date, so that these can be exchanged with other members prior to a sexual encounter.
Once partners have considered the possibility of a sexual encounter, both partners as members, can bilaterally consult each other’s STD Profile, which contains STD testing results and other information based on individual preferences and rating.
SafestSex.org can be viewed as a “credit bureau” of safe sex that provides information to prospective sexual partners so that they can better assess their risk of contracting STDs with their chosen partner. //SECTION 5203:How long does it take to register in SafestSex.org?
No. You can anonymously enter your latest test result and the approximate dates when those tests were performed or simply play around with the online form. Start here: Test Results Form.
It usually takes between 10 and 15 minutes to become a SafestSex.org member. What may delay the process is the confirmation email message that is sometimes sent to a “junk” folder. On some occasions confirmation emails can be delayed by hours or are never delivered, particularly when using “Hotmail” associated accounts (Hotmail.com, live.com, etc). If you encounter this problem please use the Contact Form.
No. The process is totally anonymous, similar to using a mortgage calculator found on bank websites. You can play around with the system and familiarize yourself with the different Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and learn about new prevention strategies.
If after completing the online form with your latest test results for one or more STI, you can save the information you enter. You are then assigned a SafestSex Exchange ID (SSXID) which identifies you as an Anonymous member. See different types of memberships. Because there is no email address associated with the SSXID assigned to you, be sure to save the 9-character SSXID which also serves as the password for login until you provide a valid email address.
After saving your test results and receiving your 9-character SSXID, a valid email address is the only personal information you will need to provide if you want to become a regular member and exchange STI test results with other members.
As an anonymous member you are free to play around with the system and enter any test results you want. But once you decide to provide a valid email address and become a regular member and able to exchange STI/STD test results with other members, the current STD Screening Profile should reflect your real situation.
Although members can choose to have the clinic validate the test results, self-reported information can still be trusted.
Regarding the disclosure of STIs, the assumption is that people will always lie. In part, some people may lie because of the feelings of shame regarding STDs or try to hide their sexual lifestyle. However, we cannot forget that there are also people who don't lie and who genuinely want to enjoy sexual experiences knowing that the risk of STI is as low as possible.
This is a typical dialogue between two guys negotiating sexual contact at a bathhouse: “Are you clean?”, “I tested a couple of months ago, how about you?” Isn’t it unreasonable to expect the truth from such ambiguous dialogue? To expect truth one should first demand clear facts.
The STD test results provided by SafestSex.org members may be self-reported, but the data is clear and complete, including a list of tests with exact dates. Additionally, members can add more information to their STD Profile such as name, address of clinic and have the clinic validate the test results . All this combined will increase the credibility of each STD profile.
Collecting information with clear and unambiguous facts, the way SafestSex.org does, is the first step towards getting at the truth. SafestSex.org provides the online tool to facilitate the exchange of information that potential sexual partners need to make an informed decision about their level of STI/STD risks.
An STD Profile reflects a higher level of reason and commitment to the truth than does an oral exchange which could be incomplete and motivated by passion more than reason.
STI (Sexual Transmitted Infection) and STD (Sexual Transmitted Disease) have the same meaning and are used interchangeably. Venereal Disease (VD) was the original term, then Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) became the new standard. Most recently it was changed to Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI,) some infections don’t show symptoms of disease.
Some may notice that we use the terms “test result” and “screening”, which have slightly different meanings. The difference between the two is best understood in the case of Syphilis where it is possible to have a positive test result yet the person’s screening for an active infection is okay. f This is because someone with a previous Syphilis infection will always test positive, however further testing can deem the person non-infectious.
On the other hand, a test result may be negative even if the person is infected because the test was performed before antibodies could be detected (window period: time since exposure to an STD/STI before being detected). This is the reason why a healthcare professional should interpret the test results.
There are many obstacles associated with validating medical information, the main one being confidentiality. Even with the proper consent from the patient, medical facilities are hesitant about releasing confidential medical information to anyone other than the patient.
An Associate member is a SafestSex.org member who is associated with a Partnered Clinic. These members can request that the Clinic validate the self-reported information using the test results performed by that clinic. The Partnered Clinic receives an email with the details of the STI Assessment identified only by the SSXID and the email address of the member. The email has the date when the tests were performed and the list of tests, as entered by the member. If the test results match the test results that correspond to the client who supplied the SSXID and email address, the SafestSex.org results can be approved.
SafestSex.org does not contain any personal information of members.
The best way to keep confidential information out of reach is not to have it stored in any database. SafestSex.org does not want the responsibility of safeguarding personal information because nobody can guarantee that computer data will never be hacked. Other than an email address that we keep encrypted, we don’t require other personal information from our members.
We keep the minimum amount of information required to do what we promise. The only confidential information that we keep about our anonymous members is data about positive test results for chronic infections (HIV, Genital Herpes, Hep-C). This is necessary to provide the service we offer. SafestSex.org does not accept positive test results for non-chronic infections, such as Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Hep-B. Anybody testing positive for any of these curable infections should inform all sexual partners at risk, but not SafestSex.org. After informing prospective partners, the member should follow the treatment and eventually enter test results that show no infection.
Of course you can. You don’t need to change any of your sexual habits when you join SafestSex.org. Whatever sexual practices you enjoy, you can continue to enjoy but at a much lower risk of contracting STDs by following our clear guidelines. Furthermore, with an Exclusive membership, independent of your sexual activity and the number of partners, the risk can be lowered to the levels found in monogamous relationships.
We know that anal sex without condoms is an important sexual practice for many men who have sex with men (MSM) and that many are at great risk of serious infections such as HIV, Hepatitis-C and Herpes. Having said that, a situation where several men engage in group sex, can present no risk of infection if all men have been tested and are free of STI. SafestSex.org can help reduce the risk of STIs even in high-risk situations.
Testing is at the core of any STD prevention strategy and SafestSex.org is no exception.
When experimenting withthe system you can supply STI test result information that is either, “to the best of your knowledge”, or just playing around” with the system. You are not expected to remember exact details of your last test results, which is why the dates required by the form are approximate. However, later when reporting new tests results, members are expected to enter exact details.
Testing, although crucial to any STD prevention strategy, is not the complete solution. Much depends on individual truthfulness and sexual behavior from an epidemiological point of view. What this means is that the risk of STDs is not determined by the number of partners or by how well-known they are, but is determined instead by who those sexual partners are. Someone who tests regularly and who only has sexual partners who are also people who test regularly, (and who choose similar sexual partners) the risk of STDs is close to zero or comparable to the risk found in a monogamous relationship. It is possible for someone to have hundreds of sexual partners, with a risk for STDs at close to zero. On the other hand, someone can have one incident of sexual contact with another person who is not screened and end up infected.