Should MA gyms have mandatory checks on serious contagious diseases?

**phuquedup** · Posted On: 1/30/2007 11:09pm

Absolutely.

**Commodore Pipes** · Posted On: 1/30/2007 11:34pm

Originally Posted by Leon S Kennedy

i'm not sure if this was asked yet, but when you fight competitively amateur or professional are you required to get tested for things like HIV/AIDS and hepatitas? like do UFC and PrideFC fighters have to get tested regularly?

I don't know for sure, but I imagine they would have to. Boxers have been doing it for years (remember Tommy Morrison?), and since the UFC is now sanctioned by the athletic commissions of a bunch of states, I bet they have to do blood tests.

*edited for late-night spelling retardation

**Critical Jo** · Posted On: 1/31/2007 4:52pm

After seeing some of the stuff in this thread, I'm going to seriously consider talking about this whenever I go looking for a new gym. To add more fuel to the fire:

Herpes Outbreak triggers wrestling ban in Minnesota

**Omegaj9** · Posted On: 1/31/2007 10:53pm

I originally read this post about 2 days ago and kind of laughed and thought to myself what are the chances of this **** really happening. Later on that same night I see on the news(I live in minnesota) that the boys highschool wrestling in the entire state of minnesota has been put on hold until further notice due to an outbreak of HERPES. I kid you not that was a real smack in the face with reality. You really can catch diseases from people while sparring and seeing that I do BJJ it kinda has me freaked out. I usually go gi only seeing as I am a noob but man I have had several times where someones sweat has either dripped in my eye or mouth etc and this transfer of bodily fluid is enough to spread herpes. Long story short I do think it would be a good idea to implement some type of STD screenings.

**HearWa** · Posted On: 1/31/2007 11:28pm

Heh, I was just talking to my coach about this and he told me I should be looking for different sweeps and takedowns and not different ways to die. :)

**phuquedup** · Posted On: 2/01/2007 2:17am

no disrespect to the guy, but that sounds like a cop out.

**GIJoe6186** · Posted On: 2/01/2007 3:20am

The problem in the states is the handling of the information, not the testing.

People remember when stop and shop first started recording all of what you buy, you know when you use your member card? Then they would send you personalized coupons and booklets on how to eat healthier then you were? Then thr problem of health insurance companies trying to get their hands on that info so they could drop scertain people or raise others premiums?

**PirateJon** · Posted On: 2/01/2007 6:51am

I dont know how you all spar, but on the rare case someone's been busted open bad enough to leak lots of blood, no one licks their wounds or rolls around on the bloody floor.

**phuquedup** · Posted On: 2/01/2007 8:44am

I dont know how you all spar, but on the rare case someone's been busted open bad enough to leak lots of blood, no one licks their wounds or rolls around on the bloody floor.

I hear where you're comin from, but...

The Minnesota State High School League banned competitions and direct contact between wrestlers in practice until Feb. 6 after 24 cases of herpes gladiatorum were reported by 10 teams. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms include lesions on the face, head and neck.

damn blood drinking wrestlers. Always knew there was something telling about that singlet.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 2/01/2007 10:19am

Dude, the problem in Minnesota has more to do with subpar higienic conditions and that wrong tests were being carried out. Private MA schools (read BJJ/MMA) clean their mats more often than HS/college wrestling clubs. That right there is perhaps the main cause of this problem.

Now, I'm all for it for testing, but you, I, all of us need to be a bit more educated about this, and have some perspective. I can be tested for HIV today, and if the test comes negative, it simply means that for the past 6 months I have had no detectable levels of the HIV virus. HIV takes up to 6 months to set in to levels that can be detected.

A negative results only means that HIV has not been detected at the time of the testing, not that I'm free of it. I'm not against testing, but it must occur in tandem with a lot of other practices for it to be effective (more on that later.)

The same with herpes, hepatitis and most serious viral infections that you can think of. Negative results in a test simply means that the chances of you being infected are far less. Test or no tests, all of you must also follow some fucking common-sense higienic practices.

How many of you take a shower before and after training? If that's not feasible, be it due to job/school schedule, how many of you wash your face and hands with soap before going to class? How many of you wash your face and hands with soap IMMEDIATELY AFTER rolling?

How many of you trim your nails and brush your teeth before class (think accidental scratching/wounding to your partner or yourself)?

Shoot, let's not go that far. How many of you come to class with a clean gi/training clothes? How many of you take multivitamins, and zinc specifically? I know for a fact a lot do not. Worry about higienic conditions first, and then worry about getting tested.

If you cut yourself significantly, just fucking stop the practice, excuse yourself, and go wash it immediately. If your partner gets cut, then stop and have him wash himself, and go wash yourself immediately (or at least have a clean towel to clean yourself). This is just exactly what a doctor would tell you to do.

Do you do that? Would you? Have any of you ever even thought of this?

Worrying about testing while not even being meticulous in the most basic of higienic practices is like wanting to get vaccinated against polio and tuberculosis while living next to a garbage dumb.