I was short on money and wasn't sure I would make it to the end of the semester. I was a Junior at a small, elite east-coast university, but I was struggling to scrape together enough money to make it through the semester. I had one more month of rent to cover somehow before the end of the school year. I already had a part-time job and worked as many hours as I could handle together with my coursework. How else could I make enough to make it through to summer when I had a lucrative internship lined up?
I sighed and decided to search Craigslist Gigs and see what local options there might. After 20 minutes I had found a lot of the usual -- cleaning jobs, yard work, and similar things. Nothing sounded like a promising way to cover rent.
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed a very different posting. The title said simply "Condom Tester." I chuckled a bit, sure this was a prank posting. I clicked on it, thinking it would be good for a laugh. The posting was fairly short, and it read:
Condom Tester Wanted
Male and female individuals wanted to test condom fit, function, and robustness under medical supervision. Must pass a screening for sexually transmitted infections. Must sign a confidentially agreement. Pay will be $100 per test.
I read it again. $100 to test a condom? What did the test involve?
Out of curiosity, I called the number prepared to have it be a prank. I was a bit surprised when a woman answered with a friend "Hello, Holcomb Testing Enterprises. How may I help you?"
I stammered slightly "Um, yes, hi. I'm calling about the ad for the tester?"
"Oh, you mean the condom tester. Are you potentially interested?"
I replied. "Maybe. Can you tell me more what would be involved?"
She replied in a chipper voice "Certainly. You would be asked to have sexual intercourse with a test partner and then rate the condom on several performance factors. A licensed doctor will oversee all tests and conduct the physical inspection of the condom to assess its physical performance. All testers receive regular STI screening. Each test pays at least $100 to both testers."
I blinked, thinking to myself "Was this for real?"
The woman waited for a moment and then asked politely. "Do you have questions? Would you be interested in taking the next step and answering a few questions?"
"I, um, sure, I guess. No harm in that, right?"
She replied happily "Ok, great. Let's proceed. First question, have you had vaginal intercourse before?"
I replied "Yes, of course."
She moved on "With male or female partners or both?"
"Male" I replied.
She continued "How many partners have you had in the past 12 months."
I paused for a moment while I did a mental count. "Um, 10 I think."
She paused and then continued "Do you orgasm from vaginal intercourse."
I replied, thinking to myself that these were awfully personal questions "Sometimes."
She continued "Would you have any problems with having vaginal intercourse with a stranger for a test, keeping in mind that he would be wearing a condom."
I shrugged to myself. "No, I don't think I would. It's all medically supervised, and he's tested, right?"
She gave a reassuring "Oh yes, of course."
She paused for a moment before continuing "Well, you seem to be a good candidate. Are you available to come in tomorrow at 10am for the needed blood test and an initial suitability assessment? We'll of course pay you $100, and it should take about 45 minutes."
If I was going to back out, this was my chance. Would I really do this? Was it like prostituting myself for money? I really should back out.
Yet I replied "Yes, that will work for me. I don't have class until after lunch."
The friendly woman gave me the address and said to arrive about 10 minutes early to fill out some paperwork.
The next day I arrived 10 minutes early as instructed. The same voice greeted me and handed me some forms on a clipboard to fill out. I filled out a health questionnaire and then flipped through multiple pages of legalese before signing the forms.
The friendly woman at the front desk took the forms, looked over them, and then instructed me to follow her. She led me down a hallway past rooms labeled "Test Room 1" and "Test Room 2" to the third door with the label "Exam Room." There were a few more doors further down the hall. She opened the door, commenting "Please have a seat on the exam table, and the doctor will be with you shortly to do your intake health screening. With that she turned and left, shutting the door.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door followed by the door opening and an older female doctor coming in. "Tanya? Hi. I'm Dr. Morganson. How are you today?"
I blinked, a bit surprised. I wasn't expecting a older woman for some reason. I would have guessed she was 60. "Um, hi. I'm doing ok."
She gave me a reassuring smile. "So you're interest in being a tester for us?"
I nodded a bit.
"Ok, well, we'll need to start with some STI tests and then a quick physical exam. Is that ok?"
I nodded a bit again. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I'm still not sure about this whole idea."
Dr. Morganson gave me a reassuring smile. "I know, it can be a bit unusual, and I'm sure you're nervous. Let's start with the tests and exams, and then we'll assess how comfortable you are and if you're suitable. No commitment, and of course no charge for the tests and exams. Ok?"
I nodded a bit.
Dr. Morganson retrieved a syringe from a drawer and took a blood sample from my left arm. After putting a cotton ball on it and taping it on she took the sample and left, saying "I'll start this processing. It should only take 15-20 minutes for results. Please remove your shirt and pants for the exam. I'll be right back."
I pulled my shirt over my head and laid it on the chair next to the exam table. As I unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them off, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I sat back down on the exam table and looked around the room. It seemed to be standard for an exam room with an exam table, sink, drawers under the sink, jars of supplies, and other such things.
Just then the doctor knocked and entered. She gave me a bit of a smile as I sat there in my light pink bra and matching bikini bottoms. She placed the earpieces of a stethoscope in her ears and commented "Let's start with checking your heart" as she placed the cold metal of the other end against my chest. She listened for a moment and nodded. "Good."