The Risks of "fingering"
 a dancer, escort or massage worker

There are many nasty bacterial infections as well as STDs that can be transferred from fingers to vagina. Here are just three examples of why fingering should be done with clean hands and gently

1) Herpatic Whitlow - oral herpes on finger tips
2) It HURTS and can make a gal bleed discussion
3) Phoenix provider develops serious infection

Introduction
Many men are surprised that there is such a health issue. When I was Toronto in July 2001 a Phoenix massage provider sent me her experiences after having been fingered by a client. In Toronto I noticed how few men wash their hands after using the toilet in strip clubs. I assume U.S. men are just as bad, but I don't go to clubs in the U.S. There are so many reviews about trying to get "extra's" and wanting to finger nude lap dancers at the Toronto area clubs. I could never imagine not washing my hands completely but it seems not as common sense as I would assume.

1) Herpatic Whitlow - oral herpes on finger tips
When I mentioned this issue on the Phoenix private list, I had this interesting reply from a healthcare worker:

yeah your right, you can get a serious infection from fingering girls with bad hygiene. If a woman has herpes simplex you can contract it on to your finger tips, its called "Herpatic Whitlow", although it is real low in the percentages, it is possible. You have to remember you use your hands for everything and may have minor cuts or abrasions under your finger nails, and could contract something (slim chance),your skin has a bacteria killing enzyme called lysozyme, which kills most bacteria in conjunction with the acids from sweat. A lot of healthcare workers get it if they have direct contact with patients with herpes or other diseases, and do not wear gloves during examination.

From: http://www.ivillagehealth.com/conditions/qa/0,4801,233_175546-2,00.html
Herpetic whitlow is an infection of the finger by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes simplex viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Herpetic whitlow is typically caused by HSV-1, the type that generally causes oral herpes. Herpes can infect any site on the skin, but the finger is probably the most common.

Health care workers such as dental hygienists frequently develop herpetic whitlow after caring for patients with oral herpes. A person infected with HSV can transmit it to others even if he or she has no active lesions. This infection is just one more reason to wear gloves with every single patient.

Dave says, I hope sexworkers won't resort to wearing gloves but oral herpes is very common, much more common than genital herpes, and often you don't know you have it.

2) It HURTS discussion
There was a good discussion of the discomforts of fingering on a public board (www.terb.ca) started by a Toronto massage provider, Kayla:
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There are many of you out there whom I have seen and I would say that the majority of you are great lovers, but...

.. there is something that I must tell you.

A woman's vagina is sensitive!

There are men who are gentle and then there are some who tend to 'dig for gold.' I will let you in on a little secret.. girls hate it. It HURTS!

A penis isn't as sensitive because it is outside of your body, the inside of a vagina is not exposed to material rubbing against it. When you touch a woman, you don't have to plow her insides for her to feel it. It feels so much better when it is gentle touches, soft, sensual, and patient.

Nails can cut a woman's insides. After a woman is hurt there, she is then reluctant to allow hands or fingers anywhere near her sensitive areas in fear it will happen again.
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Her later response:
.. it wasn't me that this happened to. The girl was left so sore when she got home she was bleeding. I know that the client didn't do it on purpose.. but in a heat of passion. And again today to someone else but this time in a different area, so hard it literally slid her across the bed. She immediately asked the client to leave.

What ends up happening here is that SP's will refuse to have fingers in the end and then the gentle guys loose out. SP's aren't porno stars used to fingers being shoved in every hole and aggressively at that
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Another provider replies:
Since Kayla first posted this, I've had two incidents of this nature. Someone suggested that women who don't like digital can't cum this way -- I assure you, that's not a problem for me. One of the most headbanging orgasms I ever had was digital.

This week, I'm done for anything below the waist. Yesterday I was with a very sweet gentleman who accidentally gouged me. I am now left with an actual open cut (and I have photographic evidence to prove it).

It was just an accident, but men should consider a couple of things before they engage in digital play:

1) Are your hands clean? (well washed with antibiotic soap and nails scrubbed?) You should wash up before touching your sweetheart there -- especially if you've been touching anything really disgusting, like money.

2) Are your nails trimmed and filed? Even when they are, you have to be very careful as that part of our bodies was never intended to have to stand up to nails. Imagine if you dug around in your nose with your finger -- you'd soon have a nosebleed right? Same thing with a pussy.

3) Skin on fingers is coarser and tends to soak up natural lubrication. Once the lube is gone, you're virtually sandpapering her delicate parts! Don't keep fingering if she gets dry or ask if there is some lubricant you can use (nothing petroleum based if you're planning on using a latex condom later).

4) Please don't try to ram your whole hand in without running the idea past her first. ;-)

5) I can't speak for all women, but I know that, for myself, about 3:1 is a good ratio for external caressing, teasing, stimulation to penetrating.

3) Phoenix provider develops serious infection

The Phoenix Massage Provider writes me (pardon the language it is hers):

How do I meet more intimacy seeking clients, and less disrespectful a$$holes? Not for nothing but one of the biggest reasons that I have been unreachable for the past week is because of a disrespectful a$$hole.

I had had a kidney infection about a month ago, and I was told that they usually do take some time to go away. But if they are aggravated by additional bacteria or invaders, then these infections can come back more quickly and aggressively than before. Thankfully, my BF and I were told by my doctor said that if we were both very clean, then we could continue to have intercourse.( As long as we took it easy!) So we both scrubbed and sanitized, before and after, I doubled up on the water and cranberry juice and we were actually doing quite well!

One day, while a client and I were in session, he asked me if he could touch me "down there". I told him that if he wanted to stop the session and go wash his hands, then we would go from there. He said that he didn't want to stop the session, so we continued. Meanwhile, Mr. Considerate is trying to touch me there anyway, and I am practically dancing around his hands. So, of course the inevitable happened... he caught me when I wasn't looking and shoved an unwanted finger somewhere it didn't need to be. I pulled of off him, scolded him severely, and he apologized, trying to play it off, as if it were an accident. (yeah, sure, pal!) I finished his session very quickly after that, and sent him on his way.

About 4 days later I woke up with a horrible lower-back pain and stomach pain that just got worse and worse as the hours went by. By the end of the night I was in the Emergency Room, with the same back pain and stabbing stomach pains I was unable to eat or drink anything, and dry heaving about every twenty minutes.

At the registration desk I was asked for the name of my insurance provider. I told the woman that I do not have insurance, but I do have a wonderful family practitioner that I pay in cash. I tried to give her his name and number, but she said that it wouldn't be necessary. After that, it took them about three hours to put me in a bed, so I was stuck sobbing and heaving in the lobby for quite a long time. Then they let me go home telling me that I was fine, and just a little nauseated. When I asked them why I was nauseated, the doctor said that he couldn't find anything wrong with me. He then handed me a prescription for 500mgs of Vicodin and sent me on my way.

When I got home I called my doctor, still sobbing, and he insisted that I be seen. He said that the level of abdominal pain I was feeling was not normal and not being treated was very dangerous, especially since I couldn't even keep down water. He recommended I choose a different place this time. So I went to yet another Emergency Room and started the whole process again.

Finally, after an expensive and lengthy battery of tests, including X-rays, ultra sound, catheters, blood tests (that had to be drawn with infant needles due to the fact that my veins are so small!) and many shots of demerol (that was the best part) it was concluded that .... I had a kidney, bladder, and urinary tract infection that was also causing some stomach muscles great stress and causing them to spasm. The nausea was due to the magnitude of the infections, as well as the infections themselves.

The doc lectured me about how dangerous kidney infections are, and told me that it might be a good idea if my BF and I just avoided sex altogether. I was even lectured me about how as a woman, I need to make sure that I wipe front to back.I was sent home with almost $150.00 in prescriptions. Oh yeah, I was tested for a range of STD's and thankfully didn't have any.

I really feel violated, and wish that I could get that badly behaved, and rude client again. Maybe I would show him how much more money this all cost me. Or how about all of the time off work? Or how about the pain and suffering. Vomiting into a bucket in front of a whole waiting room of people,(kids included) and then crying because it hurts so bad takes away a lot of your dignity, and is not my idea of a "good-time".

So anyway, where do I find the clients that will be courteous enough to be clean, gentle and respectful of your wishes? Personally, I don't think that finding gentleman who know how to wash their hands should be that hard to find.

My BF was really a champ, and didn't sleep a wink. He was there through the whole thing and he will be missing two days out of his next pay-check. I am STILL not working, as I still feel a little nauseated when I move alot. Hopefully, I should be able to go back to work soon.

I wanted to tell my BF so bad that it really wasn't his fault, and let him know what really happened. Somehow I knew that if I told him he would have been pretty upset. I already felt dirty enough. I wasn't about to make him worry about me even more. He watches what I eat now, so I am stuck eating pretty bland foods until my stomach gets back into order. You know, rice, broth, mashed potatoes, did I mention rice? Aghem...

Conclusion
Gentleman...watch..and wash those hands...didn't your mothers teach you that :)     

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