Obviously, my extreme fear of STDs (the result of OCD and terrifying High School Sex Ed classes; "there is no protection but abstinence!") is a recipe for lifelong celibacy, but obviously I'd rather that didn't happen.
But how do I attack the problem?
Using condoms all the time is a given (though they can fail, and can't stop all diseases, so even here I still freak out) but what about the idea of getting me and my partner checked before we take the plunge?
Is that a bad idea? Because I suspect that the time and effort of doing so would put off many girls and drastically slash my success rate, while giving time for the spark of attraction to die out. In the time and effort it takes me to get one partner to agree to a check and get passed that to a close, I could've bedded 3 others.
I'm aware that the threat almost certainly isn't as bad as its made out (or we'd be extinct by now) but the high prevalence of Herpes here (76%) and the fact that it's incurable and unstoppable by condoms is very intimidating.
And woudln't having Herpes also cut my success rate hugely? I wouldn't feel comfortable not lying or not telling a partner I had it, and I imagine most would run a mile on hearing this.
If I had a girl that was mine for the taking naked on my bed (not impossible, as my game isn't actually that bad) at this point I would be afraid to touch her, my fear would simply overpower my sex drive.
I'd really a appreciate a little advice/motivation from you learn'd blokes to help me over this particularly difficult and painful hurdle.
But how do I attack the problem?
Using condoms all the time is a given (though they can fail, and can't stop all diseases, so even here I still freak out) but what about the idea of getting me and my partner checked before we take the plunge?
Is that a bad idea? Because I suspect that the time and effort of doing so would put off many girls and drastically slash my success rate, while giving time for the spark of attraction to die out. In the time and effort it takes me to get one partner to agree to a check and get passed that to a close, I could've bedded 3 others.
I'm aware that the threat almost certainly isn't as bad as its made out (or we'd be extinct by now) but the high prevalence of Herpes here (76%) and the fact that it's incurable and unstoppable by condoms is very intimidating.
And woudln't having Herpes also cut my success rate hugely? I wouldn't feel comfortable not lying or not telling a partner I had it, and I imagine most would run a mile on hearing this.
If I had a girl that was mine for the taking naked on my bed (not impossible, as my game isn't actually that bad) at this point I would be afraid to touch her, my fear would simply overpower my sex drive.
I'd really a appreciate a little advice/motivation from you learn'd blokes to help me over this particularly difficult and painful hurdle.