# STD tests



## Dibaby35 (Oct 1, 2007)

So yeah I was a good girl and decided to get the STD tests done during my annual visit to the gyne. So then I have to go get additional blood work done for the HIV and Hepatitis test which I did on Saturday. While having the blood work done, I was chatting away with the nurse. I don't think she did this purposely but she informed me that 1 in 3 people have something! :blink: So yeah I'm a bit stressed waiting now for my results. Hope everyone out there thinks about getting tested if they aren't already doing so.


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## Jes (Oct 1, 2007)

Well, if 1 in 3 people has something, it should (i hope) remove some of the stigma as well as the fear--people are living and functioning and all of that good stuff even with an STD. That is positive, even if the 1 in 3-ness of it all is shocking. The more we know, the more we can do.

At least she didn't say: it's good to get tested b/c everyone who has an STD died! Right?


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 1, 2007)

Jes said:


> Well, if 1 in 3 people has something, it should (i hope) remove some of the stigma as well as the fear--people are living and functioning and all of that good stuff even with an STD. That is positive, even if the 1 in 3-ness of it all is shocking. The more we know, the more we can do.
> 
> At least she didn't say: it's good to get tested b/c everyone who has an STD died! Right?




yeah Jess....well I'm sure she's including all the herpes stuff that is pretty common...I hope at least. I dunno..just 1 and 3 was like..wow..so like right now in my office..3 of us have something?..

The other thing that made me kind of laugh was that she said its usually the really attractive folks that are the ones testing positive for something. I guess cause they are sleeping around more..but then I'm like...so she's saying I'm fugly..LOLLL.

I just wanna find someone already so I don't have to worry about this crap..geeze


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## Jes (Oct 1, 2007)

Dibaby35 said:


> yeah Jess....well I'm sure she's including all the herpes stuff that is pretty common...I hope at least. I dunno..just 1 and 3 was like..wow..so like right now in my office..3 of us have something?..



I don't know---is your office full of attractive people?


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 1, 2007)

Jes said:


> I don't know---is your office full of attractive people?



Well thats up for debate..LOLLL...


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## love dubh (Oct 1, 2007)

With rapid result testing (you can get your HIV results in 20 minutes at some health centers) and the plethora of prophylactics at your disposal, it's simple to lead a healthy sex life. 

Simple, but not necessarily easy, as the condom is still a male-centered barrier method, thus requiring negotiation, and the female condom is expensive and impossible to find. 

Hear about microbicides?



RH Reality Check
[B said:


> ]Microbicide Development Act[/B]
> 
> HR 1420 & Senate S 823
> 
> ...


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## Jes (Oct 2, 2007)

Being from Illinois originally, I know this for a fact: Obama applies the microbial cream himself, personally! And not just to win votes! He fights for women!


the funniest thing I ever heard re: him---he was a guest on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. And what's his face was thanking him for being on and asking him what the rest of the afternoon held for him, and Obama says: I have to clean the bathroom. And what's his face started laughing, and kind of riffing on it, and Obama's like: No, seriously, my wife told me I had to clean the bathroom.

hahahaha.


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## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (Oct 2, 2007)

I had never been tested since I was a virgin til I was 25 and always used protection.....

However, when I got put in hospital, the nurse stuck herself with my needle...so then an on-slought of paper work and blood testing ensued. They tested me for TB, HIV and Hep C...and well obviously I was clean, but it is always good to hear it since you hear horror stories about how people become infected. 

It's comforting these days to be clean in a monogamous relationship.

I wish you clean results!


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 2, 2007)

BigBellySSBBW said:


> I had never been tested since I was a virgin til I was 25 and always used protection.....
> 
> However, when I got put in hospital, the nurse stuck herself with my needle...so then an on-slought of paper work and blood testing ensued. They tested me for TB, HIV and Hep C...and well obviously I was clean, but it is always good to hear it since you hear horror stories about how people become infected.
> 
> ...




Thanks girl. I should know tomorrow I would think. But now I remember that I said only call if there were positive results. Which is kind of silly now that I think about it.

Those microbial cream things give me an instant yeast infection. Can't touch em.


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## Jes (Oct 2, 2007)

an aside:

have you heard of/tried AZO, Di?

I have a few friends who swear by it, for bladder issues. 

here:
http://shopping.msn.com/results/hea...rsale?text=category:health-wellness+Brand:Azo


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 2, 2007)

Jes said:


> an aside:
> 
> have you heard of/tried AZO, Di?
> 
> ...



Thats for bladder infections which I have had and they do work great. My issue is with yeast infections. Once u get them it's hard not to get another one. Sucks being a woman..sigh


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## SocialbFly (Oct 2, 2007)

i have talked about this multiple times, but the 1 in 3 thing she is most likely talking about is some form of HPV...i know in st louis the doc told me statistics and i was blown away...problem is all he has to do is touch his penis (if he is a carrier of HPV) and then touch you, and guess what...you can get it...it doesnt require penis in vagina sex....that is what most people forget about, and it is something that can hurt us...

so, education is the key, i am going to bump the hpv thread again....

let's educate ourselves, to protect ourselves...


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## Jes (Oct 2, 2007)

Dibaby35 said:


> Thats for bladder infections which I have had and they do work great. My issue is with yeast infections. Once u get them it's hard not to get another one. Sucks being a woman..sigh



yeah, boo, i know, but if you look at the link there, you'll see an option for yeast infection treatments. i haven't had anyone i know take THAT pill which is why I couldn't vouch for it, but like i said, the UTI pills seem to do well. I do know the difference between bladder infection and yeastie beasty, though, thank god, i don't seem afflicted with them. I'd be curious to hear your results, if you try them.

ALso? Shove some yoghurt all up in there. Just cuz.


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## Jes (Oct 2, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> i have talked about this multiple times, but the 1 in 3 thing she is most likely talking about is some form of HPV...i know in st louis the doc told me statistics and i was blown away...problem is all he has to do is touch his penis (if he is a carrier of HPV) and then touch you, and guess what...you can get it...it doesnt require penis in vagina sex....that is what most people forget about, and it is something that can hurt us...
> 
> so, education is the key, i am going to bump the hpv thread again....
> 
> let's educate ourselves, to protect ourselves...



Listen, lady, I don't know what kind of doctor you go to, but if he's touching his penis and then touching you, during an exam, then HPV is probably the least of your worries. You seeing Dr. Mango, now? Because let me tell you something--He's not a REAL doctor. I know, I know, he has the white coat, but... Here's a tip: doctors don't have highlighted hair like that. ANd yes. I had to find that out the hard way.


*snicker*

but really, with the numbers that are out there (80% of women will have HPV at one time in their lives, according to something I just read), i'm not sure there is much protection available. Even abstaining from sexual intercourse wouldn't do it, as your touching-penis-during-exam example above illustrates. I guess it's a question of total abstinence (booo!) or the acceptance that it's out there, and making sure to have routine Pap smears. They're not testing men for it (though I hear they can now take the vaccine? rock on).

Then again--you ARE doing a protective thing by bringing it up again and again and I am clapping for you in my mind!


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## SocialbFly (Oct 3, 2007)

nope, Jay is safe from me, no Dr Mango...lol...

but in all honesty, the doc (she was awesome, why cant i think of her name??) told me if you are a woman, chances of you have an hpv infection of some type in your life are about 95%...she said they figure by the time a woman is in her 30s, she has been exposed multiple times, that is why they dont offer the vaccine to those who are over what is it, 28? 26? shoot, i dont remember, and there is some research going on to see if once you have been positive, if the vaccine wouldnt help you get over it quicker....

try lycopene and folic acid btw....that is what she said too...although, she said she would prefer you just eat a lot of tomatoes...


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## Jes (Oct 3, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> nope, Jay is safe from me, no Dr Mango...lol...
> 
> but in all honesty, the doc (she was awesome, why cant i think of her name??) told me if you are a woman, chances of you have an hpv infection of some type in your life are about 95%...she said they figure by the time a woman is in her 30s, she has been exposed multiple times, that is why they dont offer the vaccine to those who are over what is it, 28? 26? shoot, i dont remember, and there is some research going on to see if once you have been positive, if the vaccine wouldnt help you get over it quicker....
> 
> try lycopene and folic acid btw....that is what she said too...although, she said she would prefer you just eat a lot of tomatoes...



i wonder about this. the age is 26, you're right, but b/c there are several strains that cause cancer, potentially (no. 16, 18, etc.) then why not vaccinate against them all, even after you've been exposed to one of them? 

i'm not sure i follow. Maybe someone should ask Jay?


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 3, 2007)

Well I called and they said a nurse would call me back...oh hum..this waiting is killing me. I'm eating like everything in site too..geezee...I just want this weight off my shoulders already. 

Thanks all for the very informative information. I'm sorry Jes if I made ya feel like you didn't know about yeast infections..I know you do girl. yeah the yogurt thing I have heard of. LOL...think I'll pass though..hehe...I'll take alook at the other pills..thanks


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 3, 2007)

Wooohooo..Clean as a whistle...thank GOD

feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me..

happy days


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## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (Oct 3, 2007)

Dibaby35 said:


> Wooohooo..Clean as a whistle...thank GOD
> 
> feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me..
> 
> happy days




woohooo! Congrats! Doesn't it feel good to be alive right now?


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 4, 2007)

Life is good


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## goofy girl (Oct 6, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> i have talked about this multiple times, but the 1 in 3 thing she is most likely talking about is some form of HPV...i know in st louis the doc told me statistics and i was blown away...problem is all he has to do is touch his penis (if he is a carrier of HPV) and then touch you, and guess what...you can get it...it doesnt require penis in vagina sex....that is what most people forget about, and it is something that can hurt us...
> 
> so, education is the key, i am going to bump the hpv thread again....
> 
> let's educate ourselves, to protect ourselves...



That's what I was thinking, too.

http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm#common


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## Isa (Oct 6, 2007)

SocialbFly said:


> SNIP
> she said they figure by the time a woman is in her 30s, she has been exposed multiple times, that is why they dont offer the vaccine to those who are over what is it, 28? 26? shoot, i dont remember, and there is some research going on to see if once you have been positive, if the vaccine wouldnt help you get over it quicker....


 
This is going to sound stupid but if one tests negative for HPV then why wouldn't being vaccinated, at any age, be an option?


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## Aurora1 (Oct 6, 2007)

I feel the same exact way when I go to the gynocologist! I specifically ask to be tested for everything under the sun and I totally freak when waiting for results...even if I have not been sexually active (you could get freakin HIV from a dental visit these days for fucks sake!) lol and when I get the "you're all clear" results...I'm always like..."are you sure? absolutely positive I have nothing? 100%? yeah? really, really? well...............OK then! Thank you very much and I'll be on way way!" I'm just a lil nuerotic like that sometimes...oh well!


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## goofy girl (Oct 7, 2007)

Isa said:


> This is going to sound stupid but if one tests negative for HPV then why wouldn't being vaccinated, at any age, be an option?



I think right now, because of the limited research and testing, it has only been used on young women..as young as 9 years old and the oldest around 30 years old. This is what I found about it:

*Why is the HPV vaccine only recommended for girls/women ages 9 to 26?*
The vaccine has been widely tested in 9-to-26 year-old girls/women. But research on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy has only recently begun with women older than 26 years of age. The FDA will consider licensing the vaccine for these women when there is research to show that it is safe and effective for them.

EDIT: My Dr did recommend it for me, and I'm 30.


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## Dibaby35 (Oct 8, 2007)

My girl is soo getting that vaccine when its time. I'm all about prevention.


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## tjw1971 (Oct 19, 2007)

I did a little research on all of this before, myself.

The deal seems to be, the vaccine they've got now only protects against a few selected strains of the many variants of the HPV virus. (I assume they selected some of the more common variants that are known to increase the risk of vaginal cancer, etc.)

Once someone contracts HPV, there is no "cure" for it. You have it for life. But many people act as passive "carriers" of HPV so they never display any outward symptons. Other people get warts from it within 1-3 weeks of exposure, but if they have them removed - their immune systems appear to be able to keep the virus in check well enough that the warts don't come back again. (In still other cases, people have such issues as recurring warts whenever they get very sick with a flu virus, or get too stressed out/don't get enough sleep, etc.)

The plan I read about was to give the HPV vaccine to children in school along with other required "booster shots" (since yes, it won't likely do much, if any good once someone contracts HPV). This sparked a big debate though, since many parents didn't seem to think it was appropriate to inoculate against STDs, along with life-threatening diseases.

And yes, the local health dept. recently claimed that approximately 40-50% of all sexually active adults have at least one form of HPV.




Jes said:


> i wonder about this. the age is 26, you're right, but b/c there are several strains that cause cancer, potentially (no. 16, 18, etc.) then why not vaccinate against them all, even after you've been exposed to one of them?
> 
> i'm not sure i follow. Maybe someone should ask Jay?


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## MsGreenLantern (Jan 27, 2009)

This subject is currently bugging me. I made an appointment today for the gyn since a routine yeasty seems a bit off. I'm scared to death! I've only had sex with one person [my current long term SO], and we have never once done so without protection. I'm always concerned I'll be that Urban-legend girl who gets something off a toilet seat or something. I have no insurance, and haven't for more than a couple months at a time since I was 18, so lets just say I'm behind in the check-up department. Wish me well


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## Cors (Jan 27, 2009)

MsGreenLantern said:


> This subject is currently bugging me. I made an appointment today for the gyn since a routine yeasty seems a bit off. I'm scared to death! I've only had sex with one person [my current long term SO], and we have never once done so without protection. I'm always concerned I'll be that Urban-legend girl who gets something off a toilet seat or something. I have no insurance, and haven't for more than a couple months at a time since I was 18, so lets just say I'm behind in the check-up department. Wish me well



Aww, hope it goes well for you! *hugs*


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## Cleofatra_74 (Mar 22, 2009)

A topic close to my heart. I was told around 3 years ago I had the dreaded H (Herpes for those playing at home) It seriously is amazing how easy it is to catch. Majority of people don't even know they are carrying the virus. After alot of woe is me, what have I done to deserve this blah blah blah, I've realized it's not the end of the world. I'm quite open about it now, took awhile. There truly needs to be more info out there. About the virus & how people can be treated (by treated I mean how they can be treated like a leper) Anywho I don't want to get on my soap box. Oh there is a plus to having H. It is a good way to get rid of morons that pester you  hehe (sadly even someone you really like at times)


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## knottyknicky (Apr 28, 2009)

Just a friendly PSA:


STD tests test for lots of things, but most of them don't test for Herpes. ASK for the herpes test, because chances are, you aren't getting it. 


Just an FYI


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## BarbBBW (Apr 28, 2009)

Dibaby35 said:


> So yeah I was a good girl and decided to get the STD tests done during my annual visit to the gyne. So then I have to go get additional blood work done for the HIV and Hepatitis test which I did on Saturday. While having the blood work done, I was chatting away with the nurse. I don't think she did this purposely but she informed me that 1 in 3 people have something! :blink: So yeah I'm a bit stressed waiting now for my results. Hope everyone out there thinks about getting tested if they aren't already doing so.



Yes!! I hear you completely on this one! I get tested alot thru my GYN, even though I am married,... you never know!! Always a good idea to keep an eye on your health, every aspect!


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## Teleute (Apr 28, 2009)

tjw1971 said:


> This sparked a big debate though, since many parents didn't seem to think it was appropriate to inoculate against STDs, along with life-threatening diseases.



I know this is old, but I just want to make absolutely sure everyone is aware: HPV CAN be a life-threatening disease, as it puts you at much higher risk for cervical cancer. My mom had HPV-related cervical cancer and got a hysterectomy last year. This is not a death sentence or anything - she's completely cancer-free now - but it can be huge, and it means you have to be really really vigilant and make sure you get your pap smears on time, especially as you get older. 

I just don't get why people would refuse this for their daughters - I mean, is your mental image of your pure, pristine little girl REALLY more important to you than her life?


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## jewels_mystery (May 6, 2009)

Trich is something else you have to watch out for. A couple years back I tested positive. Thankfully after a couple of pills it was gone. But the Dr. said men have very few symptoms and rarely are tested for it.


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