Travel0 min ago
Sexual Health Screening
48 Answers
In recent times, the media has been encouraging the general public to take better care of their sexual health and that there is no (longer) any stigma attached to going for a full STD screening.
We had Anna Richardson on Channel 4 for the last few weeks promoting the importance of it, we have the embarrassing illnesses doctors promoting awareness and we have the advert (in Scotland anyway) where the couples are getting down to business with the name of 'their' STD written on their belt or knickers.
Well, their hard work paid off as I was visiting the nurse in my GP practive this afternoon and when we were done I asked her to book me in for a full sexual health screening and I am astounded at the response I received.
She tried to discourage me, starting off telling me that if I'm in a long term relationship that it's not necessary. I pointed out that I am not and even if I were, how could I possibly be sure that my partner had not picked something up from his previous partner or that he wasn't cheating on me unprotected at this very moment.
She then said "But you won't be wanting an HIV test, willl you?" I said that I would as I assumed that when I asked for a FULL screening that an HIV test would come under that umbrella. She told me that if I have an HIV or Hep B test then that will affect my chances of getting a mortgage as they will see my medical records and put me in the "at risk" bracket and I'll be less likely to be granted the mortgage.
How can this be? Surely mortgage companies are not dinosaurs still in the 80's? Surely they would see that I have been sensible enough to get tested and that a negative would stand me in good stead since I'm not dying anytime soon and leaving them with my debt?
Continued.
We had Anna Richardson on Channel 4 for the last few weeks promoting the importance of it, we have the embarrassing illnesses doctors promoting awareness and we have the advert (in Scotland anyway) where the couples are getting down to business with the name of 'their' STD written on their belt or knickers.
Well, their hard work paid off as I was visiting the nurse in my GP practive this afternoon and when we were done I asked her to book me in for a full sexual health screening and I am astounded at the response I received.
She tried to discourage me, starting off telling me that if I'm in a long term relationship that it's not necessary. I pointed out that I am not and even if I were, how could I possibly be sure that my partner had not picked something up from his previous partner or that he wasn't cheating on me unprotected at this very moment.
She then said "But you won't be wanting an HIV test, willl you?" I said that I would as I assumed that when I asked for a FULL screening that an HIV test would come under that umbrella. She told me that if I have an HIV or Hep B test then that will affect my chances of getting a mortgage as they will see my medical records and put me in the "at risk" bracket and I'll be less likely to be granted the mortgage.
How can this be? Surely mortgage companies are not dinosaurs still in the 80's? Surely they would see that I have been sensible enough to get tested and that a negative would stand me in good stead since I'm not dying anytime soon and leaving them with my debt?
Continued.
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by Lakitu. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Weeal, I'm a little surprised here,
You seem to recognise the importance of getting tested for STD's but then don't seem to realise that HIV is a STD and the test for that is just as relevant as the tests for anything else.
if your going to skip one test what's the point of getting any of them done.
You seem to recognise the importance of getting tested for STD's but then don't seem to realise that HIV is a STD and the test for that is just as relevant as the tests for anything else.
if your going to skip one test what's the point of getting any of them done.
I don't think anyone is uninsurable if tested, weeal, just more difficult, which is my gripe with it.
Like I said, the media is promoting sexual health awareness almost on a weekly bases, and as I said to the nurse, I see HIV as coming under that umbrella, so I will be tested for it as standard along with the all the rest.
I'm not sure what happens if the blood donor clinic comes across an HIV positive sample, Bath, I'd like to think they'd inform the 'owner' too. That would be awful to get that news.
Like I said, the media is promoting sexual health awareness almost on a weekly bases, and as I said to the nurse, I see HIV as coming under that umbrella, so I will be tested for it as standard along with the all the rest.
I'm not sure what happens if the blood donor clinic comes across an HIV positive sample, Bath, I'd like to think they'd inform the 'owner' too. That would be awful to get that news.
It scares me too, weeal, and in all honesty it's only the efforts of the media that's made me get my arse in gear and get the whole lot done, otherwise I'd have happily been blind to it with an "it won't happen to me" attitude.
I can't sit here and say that I'm 100% sure I'm going to be negative, because nobody can ever say that without being tested and I daresay it will be at the back of my mind when I'm waiting for the results, but as I said before I'd rather have the confirmed negative rather than a fairly sure I'm not.
I can't sit here and say that I'm 100% sure I'm going to be negative, because nobody can ever say that without being tested and I daresay it will be at the back of my mind when I'm waiting for the results, but as I said before I'd rather have the confirmed negative rather than a fairly sure I'm not.
I can't remember being asked whether I'd had an HIV test on my mortgage application. If I had the answer would have been 'yes' and I was accepted for the first mortgage I applied for. I wouldn't have lied about it. I have only had the mortgage for three years , so it's not like I've had to stretch my memory back along way.
I cannot believe than financial institution actually get access to test results...How ridiculous!
If you have been tested, as I have, it only makes you a more responsible person, it doesn't mean anything else!
So, just for the sake of getting cheaper insurance/mortgages, people should just lie, and pretend it doesn't exist?
It isn't a case of it being a disease that only affects "certain populations" anymore, it can affect ANYOBODY. It doesn't matter if you have unprotected sex often or just the once, it only takes one time! Not getting tested on the basis that "you haven't had many partners", or "you're not in a dangerous group" is, I'm sorry, absolutely irresponsible.
If you have been tested, as I have, it only makes you a more responsible person, it doesn't mean anything else!
So, just for the sake of getting cheaper insurance/mortgages, people should just lie, and pretend it doesn't exist?
It isn't a case of it being a disease that only affects "certain populations" anymore, it can affect ANYOBODY. It doesn't matter if you have unprotected sex often or just the once, it only takes one time! Not getting tested on the basis that "you haven't had many partners", or "you're not in a dangerous group" is, I'm sorry, absolutely irresponsible.
All blood that's donated these days, is screened before possible use. The reason for this, is that during the 1980's, blood products were imported from the US, where screening wasn't done, and people used to be paid for giving blood. Some of this was contaminated with the HIV virus, and that's why it's all checked beforehand now, as certain groups of people, such as haemophiliacs ended up being HIV positive.
