I'm surprised I've never gotten it, considering the number of men I've messed around with... but I guess I've just been really lucky. But I would've been in grand company... many famous people have had it throughout history.

:-)

Apparently the early symptoms are not usually severe and are easily ignored by the person who gets them. Of course that could lead to serious health problems later... really nasty ones... not to mention going insane. When my friend told me he had a few little red bumps in that area, I told him not to panic... that it was probably a heat rash.

But he's a bit of a hypochondriac... and it's a good thing that he is. He went to the doctor to make sure it wasn't herpes. It wasn't. It was the big S.

The doc told him that a lot of people are getting it these days and not a lot of people know they have it... and for a long time after the initial, minor symptoms appear... a carrier can look totally healthy, thus giving them the illusion that they never had a serious disease at all.

My pen-pal wants everyone to know that syphilis is indeed serious and anyone that is moderately sexually active (he claims to only have 12 sex partners per year) is at risk. It wouldn't hurt for you to get yourself tested.

I repeat, I'm astonished that I never caught it... considering I could easily suck-off 12 people in a holiday weekend at the bath-house... but again, I can only assume I've lucked out in that department. I tend to get frequent blood-tests... especially when I'm very active sexually, so I would know because once you get it you always test positive for it... even after you've been cured (by a shot of anti-biotics, I think). Thank goodness those (hot) promiscuous days are behind me! In the country I only have to worry about spider bites (and no, Virginia, those don't turn you into a super-hero).

So, I did as I promised. I've warned all my readers (and perhaps the world) about syphilis. I wish my pen-pal-friend in Aspen a speedy recovery.

Nothing really happened to us today. Philip went to a job agency and got some leads... he looked so nice all dressed up like a Banana Republic mannequin. While he did that, I skimmed bugs off the pool and got some much-needed relaxation.