Terrified of The Big Test and its results.

[Woot86]

Hello,
I am starting on my first day off the bottle and am beginning to go through the reasons why I have been drinking so often and much these past two years.
One of the reasons is that I have never been tested for HIV or STDs, I have been sexually active with men for 3 years and have never had unprotected intercourse. I have had sexual encounters with 7 different partners.
It has always been in the back of my mind that somehow I could be infected and not even know it.
I plan to get a full physical after I go through detox, as well as getting screened I am however, really nervous which I know is a trigger.

How have you guys dealt with this issue? / bit the bullet and get screened.

[nandm]

Originally Posted by Woot86

Hello,
I am starting on my first day off the bottle and am beginning to go through the reasons why I have been drinking so often and much these past two years.
One of the reasons is that I have never been tested for HIV or STDs, I have been sexually active with men for 3 years and have never had unprotected intercourse. I have had sexual encounters with 7 different partners.
It has always been in the back of my mind that somehow I could be infected and not even know it.
I plan to get a full physical after I go through detox, as well as getting screened I am however, really nervous which I know is a trigger.

How have you guys dealt with this issue? / bit the bullet and get screened.

Hi Woot86, welcome to SR and the GLBTQ area of the forums. Glad you found us. Congrats on your decision to quit drinking.

I wish I had a lot of experience to share with you regarding your question but I am a lesbian who came out late in life and have only had a few relationships other than the 11 years one I am currently in. Prior to coming out I was only with two men and was married to both.

What I can share is that when my partner and I made the decision to take our relationship to a more intimate level she wanted to get tested for HIV and STD's first. The main reason is that my partner had been somewhat promiscuous in her younger years when she was drinking and she brought up her concerns since she had never been tested and I was her second relationship in sobriety. Thankfully the tests all came out good.

My thoughts are for your peace of mind it would be a good idea plus it is an added benefit to have already been tested just in case you meet someone that you want to have a relationship with you will then be in a position to talk about how you cared enough to have yourself tested and ask them to get tested as well if they care about you.

Anyway, good luck. Hope to see more of you around here.

[hypochondriac]

Hey Woot.

Just do it. Chances are you will be fine and it will be worth it for the peace of mind.

Again, I'm a woman but I'm bisexual and get tested often because some of my partners have been bisexual men, which puts me in a 'high-risk' group.

Most of my gay friends and myself get tested at least every 6 months or between partners, whichever comes first. I'm not sure where you are and what's available but here in the UK we have GU clinics at all major hospitals where you can 'drop-in' without an appointment. You might want to ask for a hep b vaccine while you're there too.

Good luck x

[RunnerMD2be]

Hey there,

I've been in that situation where I thought I might have HIV. It was PURE HELL. I know what that feels like. Unfortunately, the only resolution is to get tested. Chances are, if you haven't had any unprotected intercourse, you probably are fine. It is extremely unlikely that it would be transmitted through even unprotected oral sex. It is certainly possibly, but exceedingly unlikely due to the thickness of the mucous membranes in the nasopharynx/esophagus, and it wouldn't hold up long at all in the Acidity of the stomach.

Gonorrhea/Chlamydia are possibilities, but with Gonorrhea you would be very likely to have some sort of symptoms. Chlamydia can hide, but can be cured with antibiotics.

The answer for you is to be tested for all of those things, so you can begin your recovery. Anxiety, Stress, and Resentment are enemies of a recovering alcoholic.



Best wishes

[Woot86]

Thanks alot for the advice everyone.

[Woodsy]

Originally Posted by RunnerMD2be

Hey there,

I've been in that situation where I thought I might have HIV. It was PURE HELL. I know what that feels like. Unfortunately, the only resolution is to get tested. Chances are, if you haven't had any unprotected intercourse, you probably are fine. It is extremely unlikely that it would be transmitted through even unprotected oral sex. It is certainly possibly, but exceedingly unlikely due to the thickness of the mucous membranes in the nasopharynx/esophagus, and it wouldn't hold up long at all in the Acidity of the stomach.

Gonorrhea/Chlamydia are possibilities, but with Gonorrhea you would be very likely to have some sort of symptoms. Chlamydia can hide, but can be cured with antibiotics.

The answer for you is to be tested for all of those things, so you can begin your recovery. Anxiety, Stress, and Resentment are enemies of a recovering alcoholic.



Best wishes

Been there myself!! I used to be an STD/HIV counselor and couldn't agree more with RunnerMD2be! Even with that knowledge and training, I too was terrified to be tested, due in part to the many times I couldn't remember if a condom was used the night before. The only way to know for sure is to get tested. You can't move on until you do. Stay strong!

[Mattcake]

Do you trust your journey?

Please let us know when you have the results.

s

[catallus]

Hey now,

Welcome aboard and welcome to recovery. It's already been said, but, get tested for your own piece of mind. The road to recovery is difficult enough without having major stress hampering your progress.

There are clinics that can test you for everything quicker than the time you spent in their waiting room - cheaply and painlessly. I had myself tested this way - twice - (just to be sure); it was worth it.

[Mattcake]

(I apologize, I accidentally left a whole paragraph out of my first post O_o )

Ideally, what doctors usually recommend is to get a full screening now, then determine the date when you last engaged in sexual activity with another person (or persons), and remain abstinent for a full 6 months before your second test. This way you'll rule out any latent infections that may not show up the first time.

You should really ask your doctor for the full instructions, sometimes the 6 months wait is unnecessary. I did it because I'd vowed to remain celibate anyway, so I got tested again when the time came.

Other than choosing to remain celibate for future tests, there's not much you can do *now*, so try to get tested asap and get it over with. Like Catallus said, get it out of the way so that you can focus on other stuff and continue to make progress.

Please, keep us posted. s

[Freedom55]

Hi Woot, I am a straight woman who values the humanity of all peoples. Scary stuff you are facing..."'do I really want to know the results?" Scary, but necessary to go through it for your own peace of mind, and for the safety of yourself and your partners. I am sending prayers your way that your test results are negative.

Hugs
lh