For some time the thought of having a sexually transmitted disease has been floating around the back of my head. Being involved in the hobby is a risk. Although I have mitigated those risks by wearing a condom and using (what I perceive) as common sense, there is room for error. Life has taught me that bad shit can happen, regardless of what you do.
So I made the decision to get tested. Made up my mind.
Here in Dallas we have a STD clinic. It's supported by the Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS).
2377 N.Stemmons Frwy. Dallas, TX 75207
Suite 100
214-819-1819
The clinic is in the ground floor of a building right off I35 north of downtown. Near Dallas Market Hall.
At first I tried to call and set up an appointment. Using the 214-819-1819 number above. What I found is that when you called and selected the menu prompts, you were left ringing on a line forever. I tried calling a few times and hung up on ring number 20. No answer. Because of this, I decided to go down to the building itself directly.
The drive was easy to make. There is ample parking if you are not afraid to walk some. It's a busy place, so never at any time did I feel like I was standing out of a crowd. Walked in the main lobby and turned a left to Suite 100, right behind the security officer's desk.
There I found a waiting room. Two receptionist areas were open. Both speaking through glass. I was greeted, and I asked about getting tested for STD's. The receptionist asked if I had any symptoms. I replied "no."
She asked if I was certain. It was an awkward moment
I answered no again. She then informed me that I would go in for quick testing. If I had symptoms, I would have to wait in that room to see someone for treatment.
She then asked for my drivers license. She then photocopied and enlargement of it, and gave me a clipboard questionnaire to fill out. This basically asked who you were, where you live, where you work, and then asked for more information on who you want for an emergency contact. I filled it all out. For employment I wrote in "Self" and left my cell number for all contact numbers. This was not a problem, and I was not questioned on it.
Then was directed to go to the cashier out in the lobby and pay $20 for the quick testing. The quick testing was for HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphillis.
I was then given a numbered ticket and told to wait in a different room for testing. I followed the instructions, went to the new area. It was another typical waiting area. With STD literature and pamphlets on the wall in two languages. A video was playing over and over again on STD subjects. It was a bit much. My wait for my number to be called was just about 30 minutes. There were people in there before I arrived, and my number was called before them. So don't get discouraged if it seems kind of busy.
I was then taken to a separate office. There I had my blood drawn for two vials. The Nurse who took the samples was friendly, skilled, and competent. The whole process of getting the blood drawn took maybe 5 minutes total.
Then I was given a specimen cup, sent to the bathroom, and directed to urinate in it. In the bathroom was a wall cubby where I was to leave my sample. The bathroom was kind of gross. In hindsight, if using a public restroom in an STD clinic doesn't give you the willies, than what would?
Once all was filled I was given a small business card sized appointment reminder which had my Test ID number and direction to call back the following week. On a certain specific day between 2-4pm. The same 214-819-1819 number I tried earlier.
There was six days between the date of my test and getting the results back. Those days were not fun. Because although you want the results to come back negative, you just do not know. The extra time allows your brain to go through all the "what if" possibilities of the test.
What if I am HIV positive? It wasn't until right here and now I started to seriously analyze the impact of what at thing would do to my life. Now... I know quite a few people who are HIV positive through work and extended friendships. So while I know that it is a horrible thing to have, I can temper it with some experience of seeing those people I know deal with it. It's not automatically a death sentence, as some would make it out to be. But the ramifications on what it will do to your life are huge.
Six days went by, and eventually 2pm came around on the day i was to call for my test results. I called the same number again, and guess what? It rang. With no answer. So I tried calling a few times, and hung up. Then I decided to just stay on the line and let it keep ringing.
The phone was finally answered after 41 rings.
I was asked for mt Test ID number. I gave it to the person who answered, along with my name. She told me that she is the only one working the phones, and that's why it takes forever to get through. After this brief conversation, my results came up on her computer.
"All negative."
Best words I could hear.
Now, there are many threads on this forum about STD's. Debates about whether BBBJ's give you the cooties, or my odds of getting a certain plague based on what combination of barriers and acts I conduct. My intent for this thread is not to talk about those things here.
What I wanted to do is let the other people in the Hobby community know about my direct experience so that perhaps they can make informed choices on how to get tested. Then, as in with dealing with Dallas County Health & Human Services, know more details of the process and what to expect.
