testing

Pelvis Problems: The Painful Peeing Syndromes

This installment of Pelvis Problems from Caitlyn Tivy, the pelvic health PT, talks about interstitial cystitis (IC) and chronic prostatitis (CP), disorders that can cause pain with peeing, along with a number of other symptoms, what causes them, how they can be diagnosed and how they can be treated so you can pee without pain again.

The STI Files: Mycoplasma genitalium

Mycoplasma genitalium (sometimes called Mgen) is a bacterial infection spread through sexual contact. Although it's pretty common now, it isn't diagnosed and treated as often as it should be.

When you really, really want something, how good are you at respecting limits and boundaries?

Figuring Out How to be a Lesbian Safer Sexpert

When I started having sex with girls, there was no one cheering, especially not encouraging me to have safer sex. But over the last few years, I’ve finally begun to feel confident with safer sex, and it’s improved my sex life a million percent. I wish I’d gotten comfortable with it sooner.

An Infection Getting Worse and Worse: Can I Just Wait it Out?

Meghan_Hoover
asks:
I am 15 and I just had sex for the first time last Friday. It was unprotected but he did not cum. The next morning I had pain. The pain continued through Saturday and Sunday. I thought the pain was from having sex for the first time, but it's now Monday and I realized stinging while I pee, cloudy with some blood in it too, in addition to constantly having to pee and never feeling empty....

The Testing Diaries: Allie

The health center at my university is pretty awesome.

It provides free STI testing days throughout the year. Instead of making an appointment, students and non-students alike can just walk in, check in, and wait their turn, as it's run on a first-come, first-served basis. This particular event was for rapid HIV testing, where HIV results are given within just 10-15 minutes.

I visit my gynecologist annually, but I've never gone specifically to get tested for STIs/HIV. I attended this event curious about what the entire process was like.

STI Testing, Safer Sex Social How-Tos, Fresh Starts and a Bittervention

frenchiemathwhiz
asks:
Heather: I have a question about STD testing, but it's together with a lot of other stuff, so I'm giving you some of the whole story. My long-term boyfriend just broke up with me, seemingly out of the blue. We were together for several of the most tumultuous years of our lives—we dealt with so much stuff, I can't even describe it....

After Contraception or Commitment, Why You Still Gotta Rock Safer Sex

We sometimes deal with a tough situation in direct service: a user comes in, and reports having contracted an STI; a user who also isn't a first-time user of our site or services, and who, in a previous conversation with us about pregnancy risks, blew off also talking about STIs and safer sex and turned down help we offered to them to reduce their STI risks, not just pregnancy risks.

This is one of those things where there's no joy or pride in being right: it stinks to be right about someone getting any kind of illness and being unhappy.

National HIV and STD Testing Resources

For those in the USA, find HIV and STD testing centers near you, as well as sites to receive vaccines for certain STDs. Site also provides information about HIV and STDs and can help guide your testing decisions.