Text from GUM clinic

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi,

Yesterday I got a text from the GUM clinic saying I should come in for a sexual health check up. I've never been before, and when I rang them directly they told me they couldn't say how they got my number, or what I need to be tested for.

Any idea how they got my info? and why they sent a text?

[Em84]

Might just be a standard text thing...

You were in UNI so maybe it's something that they send to students....

I wouldn't worry....they would ring you if it was an urgent situation...

: )

[snowgoose]

Hi Jim

it may be that a former partner has an Std .........and they do ask for former partners numbers so you can be screened .
Now then .this is very common and does not mean major std at all please do not think this .not Aids or anything scary .
maybe just some swabs and antibiotics at the most . most probably you are fine ....but they do ask for sex partners so they can give treatment if needed .
if so .it will be sorted ........
and very common so you are not alone by any means .
hope this helps xx

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi,

It's definitely not a Uni thing, it was from my home address clinic.

Thanks for you advice, I really hope it is just a antibiotics thing, but I can't get HIV out of my head. I keep convincing myself that that's the only reason they'd get in contact.

:-(

[snowgoose]

Hi Jim

no ........they would contact you for others as well . It doesnt even mean you have anything wrong .......just that you have been in contact with someone who has an STD which covers lots that will be easily treated by antibiotics .
try not to worry [easy for me I know ] .........go tomorrow and put your mind at rest . xx

[mikewales]

If it was something as serious as HIV they wouldnt send you a text, they would either ring or write to you to make sure you had got the message.

As others have said, it is most likely someone you have had sexual contact with has had something, and given your details so you can get checked as well, there are loads of different things they could have had, most of them not really serious, but better to get treated if they are present.

[Anxiety Jim]

Are you sure they would ring? or write a letter? When I rang them they said the nurse sent the test through their system in the morning. I can't stop thinking it must be something serious they were just told about. :-/

[Hypo]

Yeah, if you have an STD they do ask you for a list of people you have slept with recently so they can contact them.

It doesn't mean you have anything, but if you do they usually clear up with a cause of antibiotics.

HIV is VERY hard to catch, very. It is very unlikely to be that and it really is one of the hardest things to catch.. trust me, I had HIV fears and spoke to many specialists who told me exactly how hard it is to catch and how I had more chance of getting hit by a bus.

I am pretty sure they would call you as well if it was anything serious.

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi,

I went in today, and they said I should be tested for everything, a swab and urine test for chlamydia / gonorrhoea, and blood test for HIV and syphilis.

Now I'm sure I must have HIV, because they wanted to test for it. They still couldn't tell me why I got a text message.

And to make things worse, they couldn't get any blood, even after poking me with 4 holes! And they said I should go back next Wednesday for them to try to take it again! So my HIV is going to be delayed, I'm so scarred I', going to die.

[LeMa79]

(((hugs)))

[Anxiety Jim]

Can anyone tell me how long I will have left if when I do the test next week it comes back positive???

:weep:

[ewood79]

Jim, do you really think you have put yourself at the ultimate risk of HIV?

Remember we always think the worst with anxiety.... It's your mind Playing tricks on you!

Try and relax mate

[Hypo]

Well the chances of it being HIV are tiny and I don't know your sex life details but are you at all high risk?

The conditions have to be just right and you need to be engaging in high risk sex with someone who has HIV which is unlikely. Also, with medication, HIV doesn't often develop into AIDS these days, people are starting to die of natural deaths before they develop AIDS as the meds are so good, so it isn't a death sentence like it used to be.

But you shouldn't be going there. It is much likely something really simple if it's anything at all. Please keep us updated. Plus, if they think you are at high risk of having HIV the usually actually offer you counselling BEFORE they test you to help put your mind at risk. I know this from suffering with HIV fears myself in the past. High risk patients are usually counselled and informed before the testing.

[mikewales]

What you need to do is go and get all the tests, then you will know for certain. If you do have something ( whatever it is ) you don't want to risk passing it on to anyone else, so get it sorted and then you will know what you are dealing with.

[miggymoggy]

Probably chlamydia. It's so common. I got it from an ex. Easily treated with antibiotics. Try not to worry. xx

[Anxious_gal]

It'll be a week I think for test results to come back.
You really should be getting tested after each partner or better yet get tested together :)
Threes no point point imaging the worst possiable outcome , it won't help either way.

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi,

I had to go into the GUM clinic today so they could take my blood for the HIV test, I also got my results for chlamydia and gonorrhoea , both negative! The nurse then told me the reason I was called in was because I was a chlamydia contact. So that's put my mind a rest a little.

But as she didn't tell me I was a chlamydia contact until after the results, I'm still really worried about having HIV, I should get the results within 7 days.

Has anyone had experience with HIV tests before? Will they only call be into the clinic if it's positive?

Thanks,

[gemjones85]

honestly - do u think they would leave u a week if they thought it was HIV? they`d have u in hospital getting ur blood that way. Il put my money on chlymidia. its very common and easily spread. I know u just want to know - id be the same.

hope ur ok X

[Anxiety Jim]

I've read things about people going years without knowing they've got HIV, so they probably don't see 1 week as a big thing...

[honeyb]

I've worried about HIV before, but Jim, i think the nurse would have said if you were at great risk as they wouldn't want you going around spreading it. They are just doing their job. I really doubt you have HIV. Did you explain your worries to the nurse?

[ewood79]

Jim take a RPN and chill out dude...... My god!

[gemjones85]

no they would have to tell u if they suspected or a ex had come in with hiv, because if u have sex(knowing u have hiv) and infect someone theres some laws against it.
They wouldnt leave themselves wide open like that, people would be suing left right and centre.
Also - the wait for results on hiv test are 6 weeks, u cant be stressing urself for that long - speak to ur gp/nurse XXXXXX

[Anxiety Jim]

I didn't explain my worries to the nurse, but there must be some cause for concern otherwise they wouldn't want to test my blood in the first place. :weep:

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:01 ----------


Also - the wait for results on hiv test are 6 weeks, u cant be stressing urself for that long - speak to ur gp/nurse XXXXXX

The nurse told me I'd get my results in about 7 days???

[swgrl09]

I'm from the US so I don't know, but I would assume that if somebody you had contact with has ANY STD they probably test you for everything just to be safe. Can others who live over there verify for me?

[honeyb]

Yes it's standard that they check you for everything.

[charsey]

I've had an HIV test along with all the others yrs and you get the results back quite quickly. If you were contacted for chlamydia and not had that then the likely hood of HIV is remote. Try to calm down there's nothing you can do now but wait so try to stay calm about. I hate waiting for results so I know how you feel