Condoms and Zika

Reservoir tip root boots for photoshoots

The Photo: a selection of colored latex condoms now increasing in popularity because of the Zika virus.

Zika protection: My circle and I have reluctantly begun to use condoms with our partners now because there is no other protection from the Zika virus while having sexual intercourse of any kind. For repeated acts of underwater PVI we have always used the nitrile female condom (FC2) – just as Taryn’s porn actresses do during rehearsals -  except for the cum shots - but we hadn’t been using latex condoms except with new men until we got the of their (negative) STI full panel results. Now all our casual partners taken while out clubbing have to glove up. “No glove, no love!” Latex is far better than polyethylene and Nitrile from the standpoint of its heat transfer properties. The super-thin latex is amazing and personally I like the textured ones since in a condom I don’t get the feel of an uncut man’s frenulum rubbing bareback against my G-spot during ballet-sex, when I’m taken from behind while on my toes. However, latex can be easily damaged by a sharp fingernail so there is that to be careful to avoid.

Reality: Most Escorts, Hostesses and women in my circle have never really been too concerned about birth defects since we all are using effective contraceptive methods and would terminate any unplanned pregnancy. But that is certainly foremost in the minds of most women of reproductive age especially now that it’s known that a woman can be infected by sexual intercourse. Our concern now is that as scientists learn more about Zika they are finding that there may be other long term problems (in addition to Guillain-Barre syndrome) even for adults who show no early symptoms.  Now we know that the virus can stay for at least six months or perhaps longer in a man’s semen.

But what about saliva? The U.S. CDC says that any secretions can transmit Zika so fellatio and cunnilingus are included.  I’ve never been a fan of dental dams so when clubbing oral sex is out at least for now. The rules at my London club, “The Costume Club” (AKA Clever Cunts), have been changed to substantially increase the use of condoms and most of the members understand as none of them wants to take Zika back to their wife and/or mistress.

So when I’m with a new and well-endowed man (and not menstrual) I’ll wear one of my transparent silicone Oves cervical caps for contraceptive protection while he wears a ultra-thin latex sheath lubricated with a water base lube. That way I’m not as likely to grip him so tightly when he is in my anterior fornix that the reservoir tip is flattened and his secretions squeezed out around his glans and down his shaft so he slides out. I know I could use an FC2, but inserting it ahead of time spoils the line of my nude pubes under a sheer thong and with the large anterior ring hanging out it is too much like advertising which is such a put-off and not my style at all!

Current UK (NHS) Zika virus guidance: This guidance is from August 6, 2016 the most recent official UK guidance available. However, the intervals of 6 months for avoiding unprotected sex may not be long enough as longer instances of the virus remaining active in semen have been found to occurred in the U.S. The article can be read HERE

Current (8-17-2016) U.S CDC Zika guidance concerning sexual transmission: Sex includes vaginal, anal, oral sex, and the sharing of sex toys The U.S. seems further ahead in Zika research, perhaps because there is greater likelihood of cases in states in the deep south.  The article can be read HERE

U.S. FDA advises testing for Zika virus in all donated blood and blood components in the US: On August 26^th the FDA said “As a further safety measure against the emerging Zika virus outbreak, today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a revised guidance recommending universal testing of donated Whole Blood and blood components for Zika virus in the U.S. and its territories.”

“There is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion.” The full News Release can be read HERE:

Zika and my circle: Given the cool climate in the UK experts think it unlikely that there will be much spread of Zika by mosquitos. However, it can be spread through bodily secretions during vaginal, anal, oral sex, and the sharing of sex toys so there could be transmission by persons infected by mosquitoes while traveling outside the UK.  Which is why I and my wards and other friends haven’t been visiting my home on Lost Cove on Virgin Gorda recently as the Caribbean is not safe for sunbathing and bikinis right now and it is also hurricane season there now as well. Not that I worry about microcephaly, since we all use effective means of contraception and would terminate an unplanned pregnancy should one occur, but the scientists are finding more about Zika almost daily and there could be more serious and long term effects for adults that are as yet unknown. And of course I wouldn’t want to infect partners during unprotected sex which I enjoy so much and have them spread it to others.

Mine inspection, girl-girl with Anya, Zika virus

A nugget of gold from northern Wales photo National Museum of Wales

The Photo: Welsh Gold. “Waterworn gold nugget 20 mm in length and 6.5 g. Found in 2001 following severe flash-floods on the Afon Wen, Gwynedd. Nuggets of this size are now exceptionally rare in North Wales rivers following centuries of prospecting. © J.S. Mason.” National Museum of Wales. Records indicate nothing approaching the size of this nugget has been found in the stream near the Barony’s mine.

Blackthorn Barony minerals: In the north east part of Carmarthenshire, near village of Pumsaint is the oldest known gold mine in Wales, the Dolaucothi, which was worked by the Romans around 74 AD, but may have been worked by Bronze age settlers long before that. The Dolaucothi mine on the River Cothi is now owned by the National Trust. However, further north and east into the Cambrian Mountains is a small gold mine on Barony property which is still operating working a rich vein of very rare Welsh gold.

Charles, my Chamberlain of the Household and Estate Manager, had set up the tour and accompanied me. I got to talk to the miners their foreman and the works manager over lunch. They had come up to the castle, on a Barony provided shuttle, on Boxing Day to receive their boxes and my thanks, but I had been looking forward to meeting them again this time in situ. I had never been in an underground mine before even though I was born in a coal mining town in Southwest Virginia. When I was growing up they didn’t have take your daughter to work day in the mines, not that they do now either. So this was my first time in a working mine of any kind much less a gold mine that I own. Well, the barony owns it but it’s under my stewardship while I’m Baroness. 

My wards return:  Their vacation at Lost Cove on Virgin Gorda is over. Undergraduate and graduate classes begin at Trinity College Cambridge this Monday January 25 so Bea is now back at Cambridge. The Dryads (Bryony and Claire) will be back researching male fetishes for their doctorates in Psychology at the Costume Club AKA Clever Cunts in London. I didn’t get to enjoy the warm sun and clear water in the BVIs over the year end holidays, but my responsibilities as Baroness and Tim being here made it essential as well as a pleasure to remain in residence at Blackthorn Castle. I should be able to get some beach time before hurricane season begins in June.  Anya is staying with me at the castle for several weeks as her scheduler doesn’t have another assignment for her at the moment and here she can continue her workouts to remain in shape.

The Zika virus: Fortunately the Zika virus is not yet in the BVIs so my wards and Anya were safe. Zika, which resembles a light case of the flu, is spread by mosquitoes and is often so mild that people don't realize they have it. But health officials in Latin America say the tropical fever is linked to neurological problems and a surge in microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. The defect can cause brain damage and death. While there is no vaccination using effective contraception or termination can avoid the tragedy of a baby with microcephaly. However, there is another possible problem as Zika seems to have a connection with Guillain-Barre syndrome which in severe cases can leave a sufferer partially paralyzed and that is a terror for athletic women like dancers!  For more about the Zika virus see the U.S. CDC site HERE.

Anya as a sex partner: Anya and I get along amazingly well as a couple since she can be very submissive when she wants to be and with me she wants to be almost always. As this is written I’m CD15 and ovulated yesterday, not that it matters at the moment as I have no male partner with me now, even so I wear an FemCap cervical cap to protect my cervix (reserving wearing an Oves or a latex Reflexions diaphragm for when I’m playing with a man or sperm-bank semen) should Anya blow or force compressed gas into my vagina during play. Anya also wears a FemCap to protect herself for the same reason when we play. Too, a FemCap can be worn down to a depth of 25 to 30 feet w/o discomfort (due to squeeze) to prevent water being forced into the vagina if we are using dildos during dive-sex. Also FemCap can be used as a thrust-buffer as the removal strap acts to prevent a dildo from ramming the cervix by distributing the force of the blow to the vaginal walls and fornices leaving the cervix under a correctly sized FemCap untouched.

For contraceptive protection Anya has switched to Nexplanon (the single rod upper arm implant which releases etonogestrel) which given her job is a better option than an IUD and she is getting along well on that progestin as it has caused amenorrhea (her periods have stopped) and she hasn’t any other side effects like affecting her libido which is wonderful.  She likes to breast feed and is a very gentle when she milks me, but can be delightfully rough if I want her to gently bite my nipples. She loves having me manipulate her G-spot and the shaft of her clitoris with my rubber gloved fingers. She has a wonderfully strong pelvic grip so during her vaginal contractions her grip on my gloved fingers can be uncomfortable.

We both wear latex exam gloves for vaginal play since neither of us are allergic to latex and the heat transfer properties are superior to nitrile gloves. We wear gloves because even though our nails are short and we wash our hands wearing latex gloves minimizes the possibility of small vaginal tears from our nails while fingering the G-spot and cervix by allowing gentle use the hard fore-edge of the nail for stimulation.

Playing with sperm-bank semen: For times when no suitable men are available I like to keep a few vials of high quality semen in cryo-storage - in a liquid nitrogen cryo-vault - to play with when I’m follicular and fertile as I feel adding a bit of pregnancy risk to a girl-girl encounter always gets me quickly aroused by heightening the chance of unintended consequences from the encounter.  Now that my clinic has a sperm bank I can get sperm to play with at wholesale prices rather than the retail rate I paid when I was in Nevada. So a few days ago – when I was fertile - Anya filled me with a vial of sperm-bank semen delivered from a dildo with a spring loaded syringe that was triggered by my contractions when I orgasmed. For that I wore an Oves as I love the fantasy of an unintended pregnancy, but I try my best to avoid it.