Have You Ever: Been Tested For HIV?

HIV testing, World AIDS Day, rapid testing, 20 minute, testing centers, clinics, prick, gay sex, stigma, health, discussions

Generally, our Have You Ever posts lean towards the racier side, but we're going to take a moment today to talk about something serious. Even though World AIDS Day may be behind us, it's still AIDS Awareness Month. And honestly, there's no wrong time to have this sort of discussion.

Rather than present information and scary statistics straight out of a pamphlet, I'm going to take this opportunity to share one of my stories about getting tested. My first time was when I was eighteen, and I was absolutely terrified. I hadn't ever consciously had unprotected sex, but there were a few occasions where condoms had broken and you can never be one-hundred percent sure, you know?

I had been regularly hooking up with a man in his thirties, and he actually got pretty upset when he found out I had never been tested. I should clarify that it was a productive anger. He immediately offered to take me to a local gay and lesbian health clinic, and I accepted his offer.

Frankly, I didn't know what to expect. I'm extremely scared of needles, so I shuddered at the very thought of blood being taken. Would I faint in the middle of the clinic, and more importantly–would my life be changed forever by the results?

At the time, I wasn't aware that rapid HIV testing had become available. They sat me down in a room, discussed my sexual habits and then sent me off for a little prick in the finger. "That's it?" I asked the nurse incredulously. And twenty minutes later, they had my results.

I was thrilled to hear the words "negative" come out of the nurse's mouth, but she warned me of the six month window between the time of HIV infection and the production of measurable antibodies. I marked my calendar to get tested again in the near future, and left the office feeling extremely relieved. 

Well, that's pretty much my story! I'll leave out the details about my older friend and I "celebrating" afterwards (with a condom, but of course), because they're not particularly relevant to this post. Hopefully, this'll prompt a few of you to share your stories too, but I'm not pushing or anything. Oh, and if you're looking for more information on getting tested or finding a testing center near you, be sure to head over to Manhunt Cares.

– Dewitt

Photo credit: LIFE

17 thoughts on “Have You Ever: Been Tested For HIV?

  1. Finally got tested on my 30th birthday. Although my odds of having it were low, I decided it was really stupid to have waited so long, and it was a relief to hear it was negative. Plan to get tested regularly from now on (though I still always play safe). Still hate needles, but it’s worth it.

  2. I was tested every 3 months … I did it for the fact that I was one in a relationship with someone who was HIV positive and two because there are other ways than just sex to catch it … I would suggest whether you are sexually active, needle users, or come in contact with someone living with it with open sores … you go get checked … Striaght, Bi or Gay … don’t be uneducated learn the truth about HIV and don’t be a hater to those of us that have it … I tested positive almost a year and a half ago … Please take a few minutes get educated on it, get tested and remember to always play safe … there are other diseases out there that are just as dangerous to yourself and you partners

  3. I’ve been tested every 6 months, since a scare. I hooked up with a gorgeous porn star, then found out he was poz. We were totally safe, but I was still freaked out. I drove straight to the local clinic and got a rapid test. After a session of questioning, I got to hear “negative”. Makes me happy, appreciative and so much more aware of what I do and who I do it with.

  4. i have been tested, here in the UK those tests are free at the GUM clinic…also got tested for every other STD before getting into a committed relationship with my bf just so we both knew we were clean.

  5. Yup…still poz…UB2
    By the way, I DO bathe, so even though I’m HIV positive, I AM “clean” thankyouverymuch

  6. something that interests me is how there has been some backlash against individuals who post their “negative”-testing dates in their profiles.
    (like me.)
    i understand that some people can and will falsify information, but not everyone does; for my part, i’ve been sharing that information simply because i want others to know, if nothing else, I am acknowledging (in some way) that This matters: for there are, still, some other stigmas around and against HIV (besides the most obvious, and the most necessary, one)..
    ..stigmas that shouldn’t be fostered, including something as simple, yet vital, like one’s getting tested for It.
    (as cameron said: after all, there is more than one way to transmit HIV; moreöver, *you* never know if you might have been one of those Ones who had had the misfortune of falling within the Miniscule Percentages, when doing something that carried a transmission risk.
    so don’t be over there feeling too cocky just because “i never had anal sex before in my life.”
    That’s meaningless.)
    i’ve gotten tested for HIV Antibodies just about every three months since september 2002, without fail.
    and i’ve been posting my “negative” result to my personals’ profiles for about as long.
    i’ve done so in the spirit of encouraging others to be more responsible (in terms of actively knowing One’s Status), to be more upfront, and to face any fears you might have.
    something that concerns me is “availability.”
    in my city, for the facility that i had been using, i honestly don’t recall its administering any other HIV-antibody Tests past 5 p.m., until maybe a year or so ago.
    (there are other facilities, Here, that can test for HIV, of course {and you can likely search on-line for your own local area’s, as well}.. ..but i can only speak of what i know — and that particular clinic has been the most convenient {relatively}, for me.)
    i’ve been working The Night Shift for years, now.. ..so it’s been of no especial issue for me to go and get a test; but for you 9-5ers, there might be a problem.
    even if a facility opens at 8:30 in the morning, you’ll still likely need to have an understanding boss/supervisor to be able to get away with clocking in a bit later than normal (even if it’s just for that one time, every 3 or 6 months).
    and i still don’t know of any non-hospital health centre that is open on weekends — which, i should think, would be the best time for most to go stop in and find out what the deal is.
    what we have is a good start.. .. but it could be better.
    so i wouldn’t mind having to start paying 3 or 5 dollars per Rapid Test, if it’s to offset the cost of more peoples’ finally doing so, themselves.

  7. It was last year when I had my first HIV test. I didn’t have my first one until I was out as gay. As a closeted guy, I was afraid that anyone hearing about me having a test would assume I was gay. I finally got one because of all the years of fear. When I first had sex with a guy (I was 17) I didn’t use protection because he said he was a virgin. We were both young and very naive and I let him finish inside me every time. Come to find out he wasn’t a virgin even though I was. I would see him regularly go to the clinic near our school and was afraid he had something he wasn’t telling me.
    I got sick of not knowing and told myself to man up and go. I did. I got tested every three months the normal vial-of-blood-sent-to-lab way. Now I’m still negative and get tested every six months.
    I feel so stupid for not knowing my status all that time.

  8. Other ways to catch HIV besides sex? Like sharing a needle but living with someone HIV+. There is still a lot of ignorance in our community. Posting like the ones above that I have para-phrase are examples.
    BTW, having safe sex with every semi-casual encounter is a lot safer than having unsafe sex with someone that has a date tested posted in their profiles. What you do is more important than who you do it with.

  9. I wonder what DD_838 is talking about because there is a 6 month window. It isn’t always 6 months, but it can take that long.
    Everyone should be getting tested. There shouldn’t be anyone whose answer is no.

  10. If you are sexually active, get tested. Never take anyone’s word that they’re “safe.” Always play safe. Even low-risk activities still present a risk.
    I wish I would have gotten tested earlier. I might have gotten treatment before my viral load was over 100,000 and my T-cells were below 110. Never suspected I was HIV+ until I ended up in the hospital ER with a dual systemic infections. It was still 5 months of denial, 7 mini-strokes, and the pleading of a very close friend that got me to get treatment.
    Sorry to ramble on. In summary: 1) If you are or have been sexually active, get tested. 2) If you test positive, get into treatment. ‘Nuf said.

  11. technically not “poz” if one never gets a “poz” test result, amirite? 😀
    aww, bam bam, too lazy to log into my typepad account now that i already typed this up… blast you computer upgrades! D:

  12. it’s too bad that this isn’t really generating a lot of discussion amongst the readership here.
    to me, that reflects an even bigger issue within this “community” than guys who speak of the other ways there are to be infected with HIV or the guys who, for whatever reason, put a Negative-result Testing Date in their profile.
    (if a given personals’ site allots its users some options, in regards to HIV-Status Reporting, then, an opportunity for telling one Major Lie {or “Mistruth,” if it’s not intentional/malicious} is immediately available.
    most fibbers would be content with just checking off the “hiv-negative” option.
    that right there would be enough to submit to The Judge, as evidence.
    but to also go so far as to make up a testing date, to reïnforce what would then become The Lie x2.. ..what would be the point?)
    it’s nothing to do with implying to Suitors that it would be okay to engage in unprotected anal sex, Rad.
    (there’s still that 3 – 6 month window that current publically-available tests aren’t yet able to account for.)
    i listed some of my actual reasons for putting the negative-result test date, above.
    that should be enough.

  13. Regarding the time it takes post-infection to show up positive…
    “After infection with HIV, it takes a median of 25 days before the HIV antibody test becomes positive; in some individuals, it may be several months before seroconversion. Individuals with known exposures to HIV, whether occupational or not, should be monitored closely beginning at about 3 weeks after exposure (routine monitoring at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after exposure to HIV is likely to result in delayed diagnosis of HIV infection).”
    http://www.aidsetc.org/aidsetc?page=cm-108_testing

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