STD question

[yunguyus]

I am currently in a committed relationship, but I have hobbied and do still occasionally. I have debated whether it is worthwhile to get an STD test, but I am afraid that if I got a positive result, then the health department will try to contact my SO or come to my home. I don't really have a problem with a positive result being reported to the health department, or even having the health department contact me to verify that I am notifying partners. But, I would hate the idea that they might try to contact my SO. (Let me be clear, I would not put my SO at risk; for example, if I ever tested positive for Chlamydia, I would find a reason that we both needed to take Zithromax ("hey honey, I got strep throat and the doc gave me antibiotics and said you should take them too to be safe!") :-) If I tested positive for something else that required treatment, I would just come clean and let her know.

So, here's my question: do any of you know whether (or how hard) the health department tries to contact partners or what steps they take if a positive result is reported. I am not talking about HIV, because I know they really treat that seriously. I am talking more about the more easily treated STDs. Thoughts? Any knowledge from friends or otherwise?

I would love to take an STD test to have peace of mind, but the thought of my SO finding out is keeping me from doing it. (the only one I think could come into play is Chlamydia, because it is highly contagious and can be passed by oral sex fairly easily; otherwise, given my sexual practices, I think the others are highly unlikely).

[chuckles]

I don't know how the board of health operates. You could go to one of the "Any Test Now" clinics in town and get tested. Pay cash and your insurance company would not keep a "permanent record". Assume you could call them and ask about their reporting policy. Always better to know one way or the other than to live with needless anxiety.

[yunguyus]

I did call the testing places and they are all pretty consistent in noting that they do have to report to the Health Department any positive test results for about 6 different STDs. They report your name and the contact info you provided (for example, phone number or email--whichever you used to tell them to contact you when the results were available). But, what I don't know is whether the health department just contacts the person who tested positive, or whether it really makes an effort to track down any potential partner to notify them. I am hoping someone can shed "real world" experience on this (a friend of a friend...) :-)

Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post here.

[JennsLolli]

Uhhh....

1) The health department doesn't know you have a girlfriend, dude. And they sure as hell don't know her twitter.
2) Not getting tested while routinely fucking hookers makes you a shitty partner.
3) If you do have something, you'll need to tell her so she can get tested and treated...or you're a shitty partner and a shitty person.

Look, there are ethics involved, even in cheating. When you're routinely putting someone else's health at risk (like hey, infertility!) you gotta at least make an effort to do it in the least shitty way possible.

[Ebony Jasmine Love Austin]

I'm under the impression your medical issues are none of anyone's business and a health practitioner is not allowed to tell anyone other than the health department of any illness; Hippocratic Oath and all that....

[tron]

You should be able to find places that do anonymous testing. I used on near MoPac and 2222. I paid cash and didn't provide a name.

You should be able to find labs like that with a Google search.

[chelseabean]

Originally Posted by yunguyus

I am currently in a committed relationship, but I have hobbied and do still occasionally. I have debated whether it is worthwhile to get an STD test, but I am afraid that if I got a positive result, then the health department will try to contact my SO or come to my home. I don't really have a problem with a positive result being reported to the health department, or even having the health department contact me to verify that I am notifying partners. But, I would hate the idea that they might try to contact my SO. (Let me be clear, I would not put my SO at risk; for example, if I ever tested positive for Chlamydia, I would find a reason that we both needed to take Zithromax ("hey honey, I got strep throat and the doc gave me antibiotics and said you should take them too to be safe!") :-) If I tested positive for something else that required treatment, I would just come clean and let her know.

So, here's my question: do any of you know whether (or how hard) the health department tries to contact partners or what steps they take if a positive result is reported. I am not talking about HIV, because I know they really treat that seriously. I am talking more about the more easily treated STDs. Thoughts? Any knowledge from friends or otherwise?

I would love to take an STD test to have peace of mind, but the thought of my SO finding out is keeping me from doing it. (the only one I think could come into play is Chlamydia, because it is highly contagious and can be passed by oral sex fairly easily; otherwise, given my sexual practices, I think the others are highly unlikely).

Wow. You would keep your partner safe by lying to her and getting her to take antibiotics under false pretenses. I reSlly hope that was a joke. If not, she's a lucky gal. That's one of the most unethical things I've ever heard/read. If you are cheating on your so with hookers, yes, get tested regularly. Why would it matter what the health dept does, although they are not gong to call your girlfriend. I imagine their knowledge is mostly for statisticsal reasons. But, what would it matter what they did because surely you would let someone you care about know, right?

[nuglet]

My SO and I BOTH get tested on a regular basis.. If one of us were to acquire something.. We BOTH NEED TO KNOW. If you are seeing escorts , and you have an UNINFORMED S.O. you've already lied once.. Man up and 1: get tested on a regular basis 2: get a different S.O. that is ok with you running around behind them, OR get your current S.O. to do for you, whatever your paid GF's are doing for you.. It'll save you $ or save your relationship.. To even consider NOT telling her you caught something is not only wrong, it can be illegal by having sex with her while you knowinglly have an STD.

[yunguyus]

Thanks for all the preachers on here! No one is stopping my SO from getting tested on her own. Please quit the pontificating and limit discussion to the actual inquiry. Thank you.

[mrhappysf]

And just to clarify, this is not due to some suspicion you have caught something, you just have hobbied a bunch and want to be sure you didn't pick up something. You are just looking for some peace of mind, not a cure for some symptom you have.

[nuglet]

You asked the question.. "should you get tested?" Nah. don't bother.. when your S.O. comes down with something, she's likely to mention it to you.. so you don't need to bother. No one here ever gets sick, so you're fine to ignore all the advice.

[JennsLolli]

And, seriously dude, there's no magical intelligence computer that matches up your sexual partners that the lab techs log into to forward your pee test results.

[tron]

Originally Posted by JennsLolli

And, seriously dude, there's no magical intelligence computer that matches up your sexual partners that the lab techs log into to forward your pee test results.

I would be more worried about the Health Dept. having this info than something like the joke you depict above.

For some government jobs, you have to sign a release for your medical records. There are some jobs where you could run into some very uncomfortable questions and be disqualified if you tested positive and there is a record of it. Imagine being quizzed about that on a polygraph...

Few will ever go through the screening process for something like that, but keeping your future options open is a good idea. Also, how secure do you think a state department's systems really are?

Anonymous testing is the best option.

[Tetas]

Originally Posted by nuglet

You asked the question.. "should you get tested?" Nah. don't bother.. when your S.O. comes down with something, she's likely to mention it to you.. so you don't need to bother. No one here ever gets sick, so you're fine to ignore all the advice.

Snarky tone aside, here's your answer!
Just wait until she gets something, not knowing for sure which guy gave it to her, she'll come to you and tell you to take these pills "just to be safe".

[yunguyus]

Actually, for those who took the time to read my post, here is what it said:

"So, here's my question: do any of you know whether (or how hard) the health department tries to contact partners or what steps they take if a positive result is reported. I am not talking about HIV, because I know they really treat that seriously. I am talking more about the more easily treated STDs. Thoughts? Any knowledge from friends or otherwise?"

So, enough hijacking of the thread, please. And, by the way, I have been tested in the past, and, as recently as 18 months ago, was completely clean. I just have not been tested in Texas, nor in a situation where I was worried about my SO finding out.