ask jane - jacuzzi jizz

Can I ask a safer stripping question? :) The new place that I'm working has several jaccuzzi's which are emptied and cleaned daily, but I'm sure they get jizzed in at least four or five times a night. The owner claims that he puts chemicals in them, but I don't beleive him. What can I catch from the hot tubs? What are the odds?

Ember

First off, you’re not going to get pregnant. Sperm cells die very quickly in the heated and cholorinated water. But what about the rest of the semen, including any infections that might be tagging along?

The risk of transmission of STIs via a hot tub or jacuzzi is slim to nil. HIV can not be transmitted in a hot tub. Syphilis can not be transmitted. I could not find any information on gonorrhea. Chlamydia can not be transmitted.

There have been rare cases documented of hepatitis transmission (I’m not sure what strand). Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be caused by an assortment of bacteria in the water, not necessarily linked to semen.

Outside of the water, be conscious of sitting without a towel or suit poolside or on a wet bench. Rarely, herpes can be transmitted in this manner. Muluscum contagiousum and trichomoniasis can also be transmitted.

However, there are other bacterial infections spread in hot tubs. These include “hot tub lung”(rare) and “hot tub folliculitis or follicitus” (fairly common). Hot tub follicitus causes a rash that can look like chicken pox or scabies. It will usually heal itself in one to two weeks. It is not contagious outside of the hot tub (or other wet arena) – not spread by skin-to-skin contact. It is caused by bacteria that will grow in the hot tub water.

Basically, I wouldn’t worry about the semen so much as the hot tub. “Hot tubs provide an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria, such as M. avium. This is more likely to occur if a hot tub isn't cleaned or its filter isn't changed as often as recommended. Also, at temperatures above 84 F, added chlorine loses most of its disinfectant properties, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The jets from hot tubs cause bubbles, which may contain abundant bacteria. The bubbles rise to the surface and disperse the bacteria into the air (aerolization)” http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00660.

The best recommendations I found were to shower with soap and hot water before and especially after you sit in the hot tub and sit on a towel if you are outside the tub itself. A nice comprehensive guide to hot tub safety (that you could hand over to your boss) can be found at www.metrokc.gov/health/pools/spa-hot-tub-safety.doc.

Best of luck, darling. Enjoy your safer sex work.

Jane