I went to the Bellflower Clinic today for a round of STD testing. In the past, I went to Bellflower for regular HIV screening; however, this is the first time I’ve been tested for everything else. (In case you are wondering, nothing prompted me to get tested besides simply being overdue for it.)
It wasn’t entirely as I expected. I wasn’t thrilled having to drop trow in front of the nurse so she could test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, but she was really nice and made the whole experience easy. I think she is the first female to touch my junk since I was a kid (and even then it was my pediatrician).
I know that I don’t have syphilis, and the preliminary tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia were negative. I need to wait about 10 to 14 days for the final results to arrive, especially for HIV. I’m not nervous about it, to be honest, because I haven’t necessarily put myself at exceptional risk to have me worried. I will post my results when I know them.
I also started a series of vaccinations against hepatitis A and B. I’m specifically concerned about hepatitis B because it is very easily transmitted sexually — more so than HIV. Most people who are exposed to HBV eventually acquire immunity, but there is a chance that a person could become a chronic carrier and eventually develop liver problems. Since infection rates among gay men are apparently on the rise, I decided that I needed to get this done. It is free, after all.
If you need to get tested for any sexually transmitted dieases and live in the Indianapolis area, I highly recommend the Bellflower Clinic over on 10th Street, on the IUPUI campus. They charge $10 for their services and are extremely nice, patient, and professional.
