Did you ever have an STI?

Writing this in the hope we can all do our bit to reduce some of the stigma around STIs, and maybe be more aware of the treatments that are (freely, totally anonymously) available.

I had gonorrhea as a teenager, and pubic lice ('crabs') in my 20s. Both easily addressed, but in both instances, it could have easily been something more long term. I count myself lucky.

Anyone want to share their experiences?

Or even if you've never had an STI, perhaps tell us your experiences of getting checked, so it might not seem so bothersome to others.

For anyone who's never been tested, it's never as big a deal as that which you imagine before you go and have the tests.

Fiftyfilthy

Usually go 1-2x a year to Eccles street on my lunch break to get checked out

Simple blood test and urine sample and results in 2 weeks


Treat similar to a dentist check up etc

Peace of mind at the end of the day. I practice safe sex but has been the odd time too

sk8erboii

not really STI but i gave this girl the flu once cause she, and i quote, 'Dont care. I want all your diseases.'

lbc2019

No. Been tested regularly

mad muffin

I got herpes around my mouth when I was 13.

Stacksofwacks

Whats it to you, do you want one?

banie01

mad muffin wrote: »

I got herpes around my mouth when I was 13.

From sucking scabby cocks at 13???

lbc2019

lbc2019 wrote: »

No. Been tested regularly

fair play. I only had my first routine STI test a few years ago.

The first time you do it is a bit of an ordeal, but now it feels quite uplifting everytme I walk out with the all-clear.

I really think it should be something we do just as routinely as seeing our opticians or our dentists, probably even more so.

Ted Johnson

All these degenerates out there getting recked with aids and untreatable gonorreha...

Feels smug man.

Gonad

Yes I have had several

My favourite was my 1998 Subaru Impreza

Day Lewin

Back in my student days, crabs, once.

A couple of years later, picked up a little something...it was easily treated.

A cautionary lesson, though: what if it had been gono? I wouldn't have my kids!!

USE A DAMN CONDOM !!

Day Lewin

Day Lewin wrote: »

A cautionary lesson, though: what if it had been gono? I wouldn't have my kids!!

my sarcasm detector may be on the blink. That was that a joke, right?

vargoo

Girlfriend played away from home for months, found out so off I went to get checked.

6 months of false positives for HepC later, finally all clear. Alot of stress let me tell you, great way to lose weight.

Never not use condom now, can't trust your partner not to give you an incurable pus ozing disease while off in search of strange Mickey.

Junkyard Tom

Humans are a sexually transmitted disease.

nails1

Yea had the wrx version bangin out over 300hp. Absolute machine.

Scabies once. The worst thing was that I was still living at home (it happened during the summer after my final year of university) and so I had to tell my parents about it, because if one person in a house contracts scabies then everyone in the house has to get treated as the buggers can crawl onto shared furniture etc. That wasn't my proudest moment.

Also got a UTI once after unprotected* anal sex (*this was with a trusted partner, not with a stranger) - that was rather unpleasant. But it did teach me the importance of using protection, even if just for the sake of hygiene! Had the dreaded "urethral swab" done to me on that occasion when I went to the GP - not an experience I'm keen to repeat!

mad muffin

banie01 wrote: »

From sucking scabby cocks at 13???

Hey… you either get busy husslin or get busy starvin

branie2

No

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Scabies once.

oh Lord.

That's the nightmare. Had some friends who contracted that once. It's an absolute bugger to deal with.

Had the dreaded "urethral swab" done to me on that occasion when I went to the GP - not an experience I'm keen to repeat!

When I started having STI checks (not in Ireland) that was standard practice. Here, they only ask me to wee into a cup which is far less distressing!

For anyone who hasn't had an STI test and is considering one, the routine is that you answer a few questions about your sexual history; they may or may not ask you for a urine sample, they'll do a rapid HIV test, take your bloods and you'll most likely walk out of there confident that you're in the best of health.

Try it, it's free and completely worth your while.

Wibbs

Love.

Day Lewin

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

my sarcasm detector may be on the blink. That was that a joke, right?

No. Gonorrhoea causes infertility.
A woman can have had Gono without even knowing it: and even if she did know, and seek treatment, and it was cured, she can still be infertile years later from scarring of the reproductive organs.
Not a laughing matter I assure you.

Giveaway

3. The eldest is 8.

Day Lewin

Day Lewin wrote: »

No. Gonorrhoea causes infertility.

how often?

I've no expert knowledge on this subject, but as far as I can see, it shouldn't be of great concern once someone has been treated for gonorrhea and has been given the all-clear.

Not a laughing matter I assure you.

I'm not laughing, just don't want to scare-monger, either.

Ariadne

I've had two STI checks in the past. Seems to be the same as getting a smear really. I've never had any STIs and that's just down to pure luck really, lots of drunken stupid unprotected sex in the past. Though I regularly take antibiotics for my lungs that also happen to treat chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Wibbs

Oddly enough I'm resistant to HIV infection because of a genetic quirk.

One found in European and near Eastern populations. We muties have a different form of a particular gene (CRC something or other) that means the virus can't attach to the cell and infect it. Apparently and going on genetic testing so far(which have been limited enough) it's carried by 2-3% of the Eurasian populations. It's a very recent mutation too. Like a thousand years old. various theories suggest other viruses like smallpox, or even bacterial infections like the Plague as selecting for it. Problem with that theory is that both were infections, even epidemics in populations that don't have this mutation.

I'd personally reckon it's down to a few epidemics in Europe that weren't those two, but were logged under the description "plague" as they tended to be. A few descriptions of such "plagues" come down to us and they don't follow the usual bubonic plague or smallpox. Some are like ebola, hemorrhagic fever type affairs, others produce mad fevers, others neurological effects, some affected animals as well as people. And "plagues" of varying kinds were a near annual event in Europe all the way back to Roman times, but really kicking off in the late medieval and renaissance. And remember any of us of European stock reading this are the descendants of those people who survived these rolling plagues.

It has been suggested that more Europeans have this mutation than is currently measured and it could be one reason why HIV didn't cause the large numbers of infected the way some populations in sub saharan Africa have suffered.

orourkeda1977

I have an uninfected mickey on me.

J Mysterio

Wibbs wrote: »

Oddly enough I'm resistant to HIV infection because of a genetic quirk.

One found in European and near Eastern populations. We muties have a different form of a particular gene (CRC something or other) that means the virus can't attach to the cell and infect it. Apparently and going on genetic testing so far(which have been limited enough) it's carried by 2-3% of the Eurasian populations. It's a very recent mutation too. Like a thousand years old. various theories suggest other viruses like smallpox, or even bacterial infections like the Plague as selecting for it. Problem with that theory is that both were infections, even epidemics in populations that don't have this mutation.

I'd personally reckon it's down to a few epidemics in Europe that weren't those two, but were logged under the description "plague" as they tended to be. A few descriptions of such "plagues" come down to us and they don't follow the usual bubonic plague or smallpox. Some are like ebola, hemorrhagic fever type affairs, others produce mad fevers, others neurological effects, some affected animals as well as people. And "plagues" of varying kinds were a near annual event in Europe all the way back to Roman times, but really kicking off in the late medieval and renaissance. And remember any of us of European stock reading this are the descendants of those people who survived these rolling plagues.

It has been suggested that more Europeans have this mutation than is currently measured and it could be one reason why HIV didn't cause the large numbers of infected the way some populations in sub saharan Africa have suffered.

So... You can't get STI's? Or carry them? That would make you a lucky fucķer. Like a low level superhero. No condomo.

Wibbs

J Mysterio wrote: »

So... You can't get STI's? Or carry them? That would make you a lucky fucķer. Like a low level superhero. No condomo.

Well not HIV, at least in its current form. The rest I'm as vulnerable to as anybody, though maybe not herpes or genital warts. Have been exposed to both a few times and come back negative(herpes in particular. Two exes had it and bad outbreaks at times. I got nada and should have). That said I could be a carrier so...

ginandtonicsky

I've actually never in my life had unprotected sex. Condoms with all of my partners too. Total paranoia about STis and pregnancy from an early age and even through all the years of drunken fumblings, it's never happened.

Get tested every few years, been a while since my last one now since I've been virtually celibate since my last breakup :pac:

PokeHerKing

Wibbs wrote:

It has been suggested that more Europeans have this mutation than is currently measured and it could be one reason why HIV didn't cause the large numbers of infected the way some populations in sub saharan Africa have suffered.

How do we find out if we're immune to stds/hiv? Asking for a freind....

BeerWolf

I'm as clean as an unused whistle.

jimbobaloobob

ginandtonicsky wrote: »

I've actually never in my life had unprotected sex. Condoms with all of my partners too. Total paranoia about STis and pregnancy from an early age and even through all the years of drunken fumblings, it's never happened.

Get tested every few years, been a while since my last one now since I've been virtually celibate since my last breakup :pac:

ditto to that. Had a few occasions where the fine ladies said dont worry im on the pill, my reply was "thats not what im most worried about" i'm always suprised they remained in the mood.

Trump Is Right

Deleted User wrote: »

Also got a UTI once after unprotected* anal sex (*this was with a trusted partner, not with a stranger) - that was rather unpleasant. But it did teach me the importance of using protection, even if just for the sake of hygiene! Had the dreaded "urethral swab" done to me on that occasion when I went to the GP - not an experience I'm keen to repeat!

:eek::eek:

Yeah, much better to have your wang in familiar poop, rather than strange unknown muck...

Call me a prude, but I'm glad I don't go in for any of that new age experimental sex... I'm more of a meat and potatoes guy in the bedroom!

You deserved a UTI, ya filthy so and so... you deserved leprosy or bubonic plague! (joking) :pac:

suicide_circus

yep. when i was young went to some gay mens health clinic on baggot street because it was free and i had no money and i was told this was the only way to get tested for free. had to fill out a sexual history form and laid it on thick with all the bumming and flute playing i'd been up to in case they suspected i was straight and i then would have to pay. yes i was young and silly. the umbrella up the japseye taught me a valuable lesson.

One eyed Jack

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Writing this in the hope we can all do our bit to reduce some of the stigma around STIs

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The first time you do it is a bit of an ordeal, but now it feels quite uplifting everytme I walk out with the all-clear.

Doing your bit to reduce the stigma there M

Couple of the reasons why there is a stigma with STIs - for a start nobody actually wants one, they come with their own set of issues such as previously mentioned infertility, and people generally just feel nasty when they contract an STI.

I’ve been fortunate enough never to have had one, and I’ve always gotten checked regularly since I was in my 20’s.

I really think it should be something we do just as routinely as seeing our opticians or our dentists, probably even more so.

Why even more so? If you’re not having sex you’re incredibly unlikely to contract a sexually transmitted infection? It’s completely unnecessary for most people to be routinely checked for STIs. Higher risk groups certainly they should be encouraged to have regular STI checks, but for most of the population it would simply be a waste of time and resources.

JeffKenna

My willy is green but I'm afraid to get a test...
Hopefully it's nothing.

Fr_Dougal

Deleted User wrote: »

Also got a UTI once after unprotected* anal sex (*this was with a trusted partner, not with a stranger) - that was rather unpleasant. But it did teach me the importance of using protection, even if just for the sake of hygiene! Had the dreaded "urethral swab" done to me on that occasion when I went to the GP - not an experience I'm keen to repeat!

A UTI isn’t an STI.

petes

Had scabies. It wasn't even sexually transmitted.

Nasty little mites and worse you can see them!

Tom Mann Centuria

Never had an STI, did have an STE though, great computer bitd. Good old Atari.

uck51js9zml2yt

There's only 1 sure fire way of not getting an sti. Not sleeping with every bit of skirt you meet!

What ever happened to morality?

One eyed Jack

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Why even more so? If you’re not having sex you’re incredibly unlikely to contract a sexually transmitted infection? It’s completely unnecessary for most people to be routinely checked for STIs.

I would suggest most people are having sex, but of course I should have mentioned in talking specifically about those who are not in committed, long-term relationships and are sexually active.

In such cases, getting STI checks should be just as routine as getting an eye examination or a dental check. Whether gay or straight.

I remember my sister having a near-panic attack when her first STI check was when she was pregnant (it's a routine exam they do in the hospital). They'd been trying for a baby for months, yet it had never occurred to either of them to make sure neither had an underlying infection.

A lot of people associate STI checks with higher-risk groups - they're for everyone who is sexually active.

One eyed Jack

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I would suggest most people are having sex, but of course I should have mentioned in talking specifically about those who are not in committed, long-term relationships and are sexually active.

In such cases, getting STI checks should be just as routine as getting an eye examination or a dental check. Whether gay or straight.

I remember my sister having a near-panic attack when her first STI check was when she was pregnant (it's a routine exam they do in the hospital). They'd been trying for a baby for months, yet it had never occurred to either of them to make sure neither had an underlying infection.

A lot of people associate STI checks with higher-risk groups - they're for everyone who is sexually active.

Ahh, I took you up wrong M, you’re talking about the stigma and ignorance around STI testing, completely separate and distinct discussion from the issues around STIs. In that case then yeah, everything you’ve said above is just basic common sense for most adults.

One of the biggest reasons I’ve found for people who are unwilling to undergo STI tests is simply because for a lot of people, in spite of advances in testing and techniques used - they’re still very intimate and invasive. Many people simply sooner prefer to risk the potential consequences of not getting tested over the uncomfortable circumstances of an STI test.

XsApollo

If you don’t want to go into a center to get tested you can get the kits online on an online doctor site, do the deed and send them off, results pop up quicker too.
I’m not sure if it’s as a detailed as a blood test that checks for simplex viruses,
But I think it does all the major common STI’s.

Not that I’ve ever needed to of course.......

One eyed Jack

One eyed Jack wrote: »

One of the biggest reasons I’ve found for people who are unwilling to undergo STI tests is simply because for a lot of people, in spite of advances in testing and techniques used - they’re still very intimate and invasive. Many people simply sooner prefer to risk the potential consequences of not getting tested over the uncomfortable circumstances of an STI test.

that's true, although I seem to recall that some infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia have no symptoms in quite a lot of carriers, but can still be passed on.

You're absolutely correct about the invasive nature of the tests. My GP insists on doing the urethral swab, whereas the free clinic I attend is happy enough to take a urine sample (guess which one I now attend!). I think those free clinics have changed a lot in the years I've been going, and are now far more user-friendly.

AndrewJRenko

Deleted User wrote: »

Had the dreaded "urethral swab" done to me on that occasion when I went to the GP - not an experience I'm keen to repeat!

It does feel like punishment, doesn't it?

TerrorFirmer

There is definitely a level of stigma, and a lot of people form an idea that if you've gotten STD's, you're reckless or not using protection, or similar.

The truth is you can be as safe as can possibly be, and still contract many STD's......there are some that condoms do not protect against for example.

I'm not into random encounters at all anymore, and tend to only sleep with actual partners, but still important to get checked before a new partner, as you could also have something that shows zero symptoms.

Gimme A Pound

Getting tested a lot doesn't actually prevent an STI infection. It just lets you know that you have one.

I think the view of sex as no big deal (nah, it's just the most intimate thing you can possibly do, which even has legislation around it) and multiple partners and anal being a standard now will only help cause an increase.

The recent stats on HIV here - if it was "the gays and foreigners", then where does that leave every other country in the study and their gays and foreigners (many with a far far higher percentage of foreigners)?

I think it's a backlash to the sexually repressed days under the Catholic church - anything goes sexually now, and it's just another form of sexual repression. People go on about "the Irish" being sexually repressed by the church, but it's far from by the church.

Issac Better Zygote

Issac Better Zygote wrote: »

Getting tested a lot doesn't actually prevent an STI infection. It just lets you know that you have one.

Gimme A Pound

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

The mask of politeness slips!

Meaning there's no point in thinking you're safe by getting regularly tested. You're safe by being diligent about practising safe sex and not riding around like an out of control alley cat.

Dial Hard

TerrorFirmer wrote:

There is definitely a level of stigma, and a lot of people form an idea that if you've gotten STD's, you're reckless or not using protection, or similar.

Said attitude ably demonstrated only a few posts above yours:

Carmelo Kind Tongue wrote:

There's only 1 sure fire way of not getting an sti. Not sleeping with every bit of skirt you meet!

What ever happened to morality?

Charming.

Gimme A Pound

Carmelo Kind Tongue wrote: »

There's only 1 sure fire way of not getting an sti. Not sleeping with every bit of skirt you meet!

What ever happened to morality?

Nothing to do with morality - but yeah there's really no need to be going on like a feral animal. Have standards, be careful, and don't be obsessing over getting "tail".