getting tested.

[dandeliiion.livejournal.com]

i lost my virginity to my ex-boyfriend, he also lost his virginity to me. we always used condoms.

i recently just had sex again for the first time and it was unprotected. the guy had been with a lot of girls before me. he said he had been tested before and didn't have anything, but since he has been tested he had also been with a couple more girls (who had been with a lot of guys). he used a condom with them, though.

should i get tested? i've been crying, i'm so paranoid of having something now. what are the odds of me getting something? is there anything i could have gotten that would not be detectable from a test that i could still then give to someone else?

can i get tested at planned parenthood? do i have to make an appointment? how much does it cost?

thank you for any information.

Comments

[beganwithayes.livejournal.com]

yes, you should get tested. planned parenthood will run the battery on you, and making an appointment really helps with the wait time. it's free to low-cost depending on what your income is.

don't worry so much, babe. you are seriously going to be okay. *hugs*

[beganwithayes.livejournal.com]

*helps with the wait time, but you don't have to make an appointment. if you just walk in, though, expect to wait a couple of hours.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, this can vary a lot depending on location. I know that my local PP only does things like pelvic exams/pap smears/STI screening on certain days, period. Some days they're only available to dispense EC and HBC refills.

[beganwithayes.livejournal.com]

best to call ahead!

[krisssa.livejournal.com]

but I think it's best to wait 3-6 months to get all the tests done, right?

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

typically the recommendation is test now, repeat in 6 mo (or with symptoms).

[krisssa.livejournal.com]

good to know, thanks!

[melodic-lyrics.livejournal.com]

You should definitely get tested! I will say, having had chlamydia (and likely HPV), that STI's are not the end of the world! As long as you're being responsible (and you are) there's not a whole heckuva lot to worry about!

How long ago did you two begin having sex? Some STI's can take a few weeks to show up positive on a test, but you're definitely doing your best at protecting yourself by using a condom!

Don't worry too much! Everything is gonna be ok. :)

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

First off: take a deep breath. While regular STI testing is a great and pro-active choice for anyone's sexual health, there's no reason to be terrified and stressing out right now. I promise that you will be okay.

It's impossible to tell you the odds of you having an STI. Many STIs are extremely common (HPV, for instance, is near-universal, but more on that in a sec), and the good news is that with appropriate testing and treatment, most of them are actually pretty darn non-threatening and can be cleared up with a simple round of antibiotics.

I guess, in short: STIs are, for the most part, like any other virus or bacteria. And we as human beings get tons of viral or bacterial infections in our lives... but we don't live in terror of getting a cold or strep throat, right? Nope -- we monitor our health and get ourselves treated when we need it so that it doesn't become worse.

The only difference is that we're often taught to be terrified of STIs, and they're treated with incredible stigma, so the fear we feel thinking about our STI risks are all out of proportion to their actual effect. But there's no reason for them to be as long as we're getting regular screening and taking pro-active health measures like testing.

Of course, there is one scary STI out there: HIV. But the incidence of HIV in the developed world is still incredibly low... and the transmission rate is also pretty low. Your chance of getting HIV from a single instance of vaginal intercourse with an infected partner (which is a HUGE "if") is only 1 in 1000.

is there anything i could have gotten that would not be detectable from a test that i could still then give to someone else?

The only STI which there is no commonly used test for is HPV. Men cannot be tested for it, and for women, HPV tests are generally only done in conjunction with a pap test if you're over age 30, or following an abnormal pap if you are under age 30. That's because the HPV DNA test uses the cervical cells taken during a pap to detect the virus.

However, 80% of the sexually active population has or will have HPV at some point in their lives. Condoms do not protect against it fully, since it can be shed outside the area covered by a condom, but for the vast majority of people who are exposed to HPV, it will never produce any symptoms, and the body will clear the virus itself within two years, without any medical intervention. So it's really not worth worrying too much over.

Also, remember when you do schedule testing that different viruses have different time periods that must pass before they can be detected on a test. I believe a good starting time frame is 2 weeks after the sex in question. Most regular HIV testing is best tested after three months, I believe, though I may be wrong on that, and don't have a chance to double-check now.

As far as testing goes -- yes, you can go to a Planned Parenthood. Different clinics will have different procedures (some have drop-in STI testing days), so call in advance and see what they prefer. There may be other sexual health clinics in your area that offer testing.

Testing itself takes two forms. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and I think syphilis are tested via a swab (I may be wrong on the syphilis, can someone correct?). Herpes and HIV are tested for via a blood test.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Just to clarify: I don't want this comment to be misconstrued as minimizing the importance of condoms. Condoms are an awesome idea in terms of protecting your reproductive health, and have played a huge part in minimizing the spread of STIs. At the same time, we shouldn't put ourselves through unnecessary stress or fear if we do not use them. Balance is key. :D

[x-hypatia-x.livejournal.com]

Syphilis is a blood test, but HIV isn't necessarily; my PP does a mouth swab.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the correction, I knew I was wrong on that one (which begs the question, why did I say it?).

[nothingsong.livejournal.com]

hey, i'm not the original poster, but where did you get that HIV transmission statistic (1 in 1000)? i'm just curious, i had been wondering about those odds myself and couldn't seem to find anything conclusive.

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

You can actually find it on the Wikipedia HIV page. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiv#Transmission) Although Wiki is not necessarily a reliable source, they do source it to this report (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5402a1.htm#tab1) on the Center for Disease Control's site, so it can be considered reliable.

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

I'd make an appointment with your local PP. (http://www.plannedparenthood.org) Costs vary between tests and centers. When you call for your appointment, they can tell you if you qualify for their sliding scale.

I'm really sorry you are having a rough time with this! I would make an appointment as soon as possible. Knowledge is power, so if it helps, read up on the different tests - but if it will just make you worry more, try to find something to distract you for the next couple of days.

*hugs* I hope everything goes okay!