STD testing poll

[tallslenderguy]

I'd get tested a lot more frequently, but am put off by stigma when getting tested, but mostly because of the threat of setting off alarms if i test positive for something that the county is then going to be contacting me.  I hate how intrusive they can be, asking about all your partners and habits. How bout you? Do you get tested, how frequently, and if not, why?

[tallslenderguy]

1 minute ago, Usccocksucker said:

I have gotten confident enough to consistently respond that I met my sexual partners either at cruising sites or at bathhouses, and as such I do not have any identifiable information to be able to reach them. If I do know any of my partners who may have been exposed, I have no problem telling them. I’ve never had a strong negative response. It’s always just a “Ah, okay. Thanks for the heads up.”

i've given a similar response, it just pisses me off that i have too. i wonder if it becomes a deterrent for some to get tested?  And me too when it comes to telling regulars or FB's, i'd much rather talk to them than tell a complete stranger from the health department who then contacts them. 

[tallslenderguy]

Ok, this has been up 45 minutes at this point and gotten 17 views (but only 2 have taken the poll, including me). Now i am wondering if some are even shy about taking part in a poll here?  

i know many, especially if from an older generation,  have had to face stigma and social disdain all their live's because of their sexuality. i can see where even polls on a site like Breeding Zone might evoke some negative feelings.  Hopefully we'll get a good response.

i really would like our community to overcome the stigma of STD testing and be healthy and happy in who we are.  

Edited July 16, 2018 by tallslenderguy

[Guest Memphian]

2 hours ago, tallslenderguy said:

Ok, this has been up 45 minutes at this point and gotten 17 views (but only 2 have taken the poll, including me). Now i am wondering if some are even shy about taking part in a poll here?  

i know many, especially if from an older generation,  have had to face stigma and social disdain all their live's because of their sexuality. i can see where even polls on a site like Breeding Zone might evoke some negative feelings.  Hopefully we'll get a good response.

i really would like our community to overcome the stigma of STD testing and be healthy and happy in who we are.  

 

Every forum I have been a part of always has many times more views than replies (or votes) so there is nothing unusual about that.  And I don't see stigma as an issue on this board.  Plenty of users claim to never get tested, or to be openly chasing, so there aren't too many shrinking violets here.

I didn't vote because my answer didn't fit any option you listed.  (Maybe you should have had an option for "other." )

When I went on PrEP in April my doctor told me to come back in "about four months" so that's what I am going to do from now on, until she tells me differently.  I know three months is standard but I'm comfortable with an extra month if she is.

[Guest BBBoyfromTN]

I'll  go see a doctor if I think I've got something, but one of that's the case. To be fair I've had enough STDs enough times to know what I think I have and usually I'm right. But I draw the line at HIV testing as honestly I just can't deal with that. I'm healthy and asymptomatic so I'm good for now. Much of the sex I do is anon so I can't really track people down or provide contact information and that's what I tell when asked. Yes, I do have regulars that I play with but they're big boys and know the risks of fucking bare. It's more or less a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Maybe they're already poz, or on Prep, or don't give a fuck. If I get something I might have passed on to someone I let them know about it. Most are cool...they're fucking around too...it's an occupational hazard. I guess we're not so hung up STD's and talking about as older people are. A female friend of mine thought she might have HIV and was kind of freaked out but got tested and it was herpes and it was all good. She still hooks up with random guys and takes cock and loads bare. She's like most guys I know...it's no big deal.

[tallslenderguy]

interesting the number of us who only get checked when we suspect or have symptoms.  I was in for a my annual HIV checkup and my doc did an anal and oral swab to check for gonorrhea and chlamydia. My oral came back positive for gonorrhea and i've had no symptoms, so no telling how long i had it. That was a wake up call for me.  I get azithromycin from India and treat presumptively for chlamydia sometimes, it is easily knocked out with the CDC recommended 1 gm dose. Gonorrhea requires two antibiotics to ensure clearance though (because of resistant strains), 1gm of oral azithromycin and a 250mg intramuscular injection (i.e. "shot") of Ceftriaxone.  Can't get the injection from India.

Also, not a bad idea to be tested for Syphillis. I had it a few years back and caught it when symptomatic. The  topical symptoms go away fairly quickly on their own, but it then hides and can lead to some pretty bad stuff, insanity among them in later stages. Easy to cure, but requires penicillin shots. 

Bottom line, routine testing is the best way to go if one is active and wants to realistically stay ahead of infection.

[bbzh]

I get tested at least twice a year. If I feel I've caught something, I get it checked out immediately. I've been around the block, so I'd advise young people who are "out there" to get tested regularly and definitely for HIV and Hepatitis C because those are the ones that if left unchecked can wreak havoc on your body over time. There's no shame in getting tested. Just say you were with someone and you found out they had something. No need to run down every trick you've had. It's not a confessional. ?

Also, I was kind of shocked when a doctor told me that he believes that if you don't have symptoms, you don't need to test and treat. Anyway, I think the health care system approaches this stuff the wrong way. If left to me, I would probably offer DISCOUNTS on insurance to people who came in for a full panel of tests twice a year and showed interest in helping others stay healthy.  

[beanna]

no testing,just wait on fuck flu and any other std symptons

[Guest Worfil]

Never get tested these days. Have only ever been tested when it was requires in order to apply for a visa. Ideally it is "don't ask don't tell" and just enjoy the pleasure of unbridled sex. If I get a problem I deal with it as best as I can. Have had a few bouts of fuck flu but they have passed as my system seems to cope OK. We live for lustful pleasure so why curb it in any way!

[tallslenderguy]

On 7/29/2018 at 5:23 AM, Worfil said:

Never get tested these days. Have only ever been tested when it was requires in order to apply for a visa. Ideally it is "don't ask don't tell" and just enjoy the pleasure of unbridled sex. If I get a problem I deal with it as best as I can. Have had a few bouts of fuck flu but they have passed as my system seems to cope OK. We live for lustful pleasure so why curb it in any way!

i'd proffer that untreated HIV that turns into AID's will curb ones lustful pleasure, as will the insanity that can occur from untreated syphillis. 

i think shame can curb lustful pleasure and it is imposed by some forms of culture, stuck in Victorian mentality.  If that keeps people from getting tested and treated for disease, that mentality has won. To me, the 'Victorians' have still accomplished their purpose of punishment if they manage to discourage treatment. Whether the reason is rebellion or shame, the end physical result is the same. 

i think a good way to say "fuck you" to those who would shame sexually free people is for populations like the gay community to be the healthiest, not the sickest. i know this will never happen, but what if ass a community, every LGBQTI (i.e., marginalized) person simply got tested and treated every 3 months? What would happen, if there was 100% compliance, is diseases like syphillis, chlamydia and gonorrhea would be virtually gone and one wouldn't get those infections no matter how much sex they had.

Some would have us believe that irradiation, or reduction of a particular STI can only happen through abstinence. The truth is, that only isolates or restricts the disease, and those who have it. Treatment can eradicate a disease if people will simply be treated.