Personally (entirely personally!) I do think we should pay for our condoms, given everything else we get from the NHS - including the bargain prices at the Freedoms shop.

It did change it's URL a while ago, so if you have an old bookmark that might cause problems.

Kay's guide to sizes...

Pasante Trim - smallest
Any 'normal' Skins, e.g. Natural, Ultra Thin and Pasante Halo - small-average
Mates, most Durex (which I avoid as its the brand that splits most with me) - average
Skins Extra Large - average-large
Pasante King Size - large (this is the biggest standard condom easily available).

What I do is buy 144 Mates Naturals and Pasante King Size, and then their shag packs (24) of the Trim and Skins XL.

Quote from: Mirror on 27 August 2015, 09:34:18 pm

Quote from: Midsstudent on 27 August 2015, 09:28:00 pm

GUM clinics give out condoms in different sizes. If you say you're a sex worker they will give you a truck load.

The one I go to doesn't and neither does the next nearest.

They have one variety, about ten bags in the room  5 in each. They tell me they only have the one variety that they are given. I take 2 bags of 5 which I use for personal life. Work condoms I buy from websites in a variety of sizes and styles.

Those that they put in bags of 5, come in a big pack of 350 with the purple paper bags included. When I told them I was a sex worker and asked for some condoms they came in and gave me one of those.

I was in a few weeks later to be tested and saw varieties of large and trim on the side and they told me I could help myself  and then they asked me if I would like some lube too lol

They do offer me lube but in 9 years of visits I've never seen any evidence of any other varieties. They used to give flavoured only which were in wierd and whacky colours. I've often told them that I use different sizes, and the brands I prefer, they were very interested but they've never offered me anything else.

I'm fine with paying for condoms from the amount I earn, they are also an expense for my business.

Some people do assume GUMs supply in large quantities, and different styles, but the ones in my health authority do not.

When I next visit I will make a for information only enquiry, and ask them would they supply in large quantities.

Yeah Mirror I'm surprised. I didn't ask for anything, they were just there in boxes on the side in the room where they tested me. Same for the large amounts, I wanted more than the 5 in the little bags but I was shocked as hell when they gave me 350!

I don't know if they always have the different sizes in as I took about 10 of each and haven't used them all so not needed to ask for more.

I remember the weird flavour ones... I still have a blueberry muffin one lying around somewhere.

The clinic I go to probably doesn't have 350 in their entire weeks stock!

I don't think I'd be comfortable taking any more from GUM clinics  than I do. There have been years when I didn't take any at all despite them offering.

They cost less than ?1 each and my well over ?100 for 1 hour fees are more than enough to cover that. Some bookings are purely oral, hand job or client comes before we get that far, so not even as if I use very many.

Wow, I suddenly feel incredibly lucky about my clinic. I don't live in the nicest city either. They're all lovely to me, never even given me a lecture about doing OWO.

Before my GUM clinic had a WG department
created by our fab WG adviser, the doctors
were quite off-hand, snide and suspicious.
We were only allowed 5 condoms
All that attitude, judgmental stuff was a problem.

Then we muscled in!

A WG department? I don't have that luxury! lol

The only time things got a bit weird at my GUM is when they tried to do that thing they do with normal people getting tested where they ask all your recent sexual partners, only added asking if it was a new client or a regular, mainly because I had no names to give them! I don't really see what the point of that little activity was and thankfully they've never done it to me again.

Oh and an advisor recently asked me loads of questions as if I was a domestic violence victim, that was a bit weird too.

Besides that they're all really nice, a couple have nurses have commented how they wished they could do it 

The clinics want a sexual history for traceability just in case you do need to make contact. I tell them that I've various clients, which if I tested positive I would decide who to contact, and how - it would be me making the contact and with discretion in mind. I don't give any client details. Sometimes they ask if I've had sex with anyone who's been abroad, or a needle user. I can only answer to the best of my knowledge and to be honest with clients I don't really have a clue what they get up to!