Getting tested together is a good idea. Getting tested together before
you have sex with a potential sex partner... for sexually transmitted
infections and exchanging the test results will give you both a better
idea of what could happen than not having the information. If there
is a sexually transmitted infection you can decide not to have sex.
You can decide to get the stds cured. The thing is you can have
a choice you would not have had without getting tested together
and exchanging test results before infecting the other person
or other people or your new baby.

Here's a collaborative blog about
the strategy of getting tested together before you have sex
http://NotB4WeKnow.EditThisPage.com/2005/03/14

Yes, mutual HIV testing is a great idea, but I might ask
whether it means anything.

  Would it mean anything if you learned you were on the
  way to dying of a fatal disease? How about something
  that would not kill you but reduce the quality of
  your life and be painful.

Two gay guys go down to the health dept and have blood drawn to
test, then return a week or two later for the results.

  That would be a good idea for both of them. It would give
  them a benchmark about the state of their health.

In that time each one of them might have f.cked several dozen
or even hundred other gay men.

  Couldn't that happen in any case?  Does everybody who
  gets STD tests immediately go out and have sex with a
  lot of people? Myself, were I to discover I'm infected,
  would want to begin treatment--as opposed to going out
  and infecting a bunch of people. But that would be my
  strategy were I the vengeful sort.

Even if the HIV test were instant, I'm wondering if either of
them could make the trip home together without picking up
several random strangers along the way.

  Don't people do that sort of thing anyway, in everyday
  life, on the way home from... wherever?

And since there's maybe up to a 72hr period after infection
where the virus can't be detected with either antibody or DNA
test, a "negative" test result may deceive the truly-negative
partner into consenting to unprotected sex with the other.

  Don't people get talked into having sex with people who
  have a status completely unknown to them? Isn't that how
  STDs have been passed along for... who knows how long?

have blood drawn to test, then return a week or two later for the
results.  In that time each one of them might have f.cked several
dozen or even hundred other gay men.<<

That guy would have to be good, let us see, 7 days in a week, and 100 men,
that makes it over 14 sex acts per day........

He would be a better man than me Gunga Din.

Two gay guys go down to the health dept and have blood drawn to
test, then return a week or two later for the results. In that
time each one of them might have f.cked several dozen or even
hundred other gay men

         Not if they followed the strategy of getting tested
         together before having sex with each one.

         What's the point of following the strategy once and not
         doing it every time?

         You'd have to follow the same protocol wth every one of
         those people referred to.

         Here's a collaborative blog about
         the strategy of get tested together before you have sex
         http://NotB4WeKnow.EditThisPage.com

         One draft for the strategy
         http://NotB4WeKnow.EditThisPage.com/2005/03/14

Two gay guys go down to the health dept and have blood drawn to
test, then return a week or two later for the results. In that
time each one of them might have f.cked several dozen or even
hundred other gay men

         Not if they followed the strategy of getting tested
         together before having sex with each one.

         What's the point of following the strategy once and not
         doing it every time?

         You'd have to follow the same protocol wth every one of
         those people referred to.

         Here's a collaborative blog about
         the strategy of get tested together before you have sex
         http://NotB4WeKnow.EditThisPage.com

         A draft for the strategy
         http://NotB4WeKnow.EditThisPage.com/2005/03/14