I remember the first time I got tested for HIV. It was my first year in college, and it should have happened sooner than it did. You see, if you can believe it or not, I was rather promiscuous in my youth. I had a thing for older guys, and they had a thing for me. None of these encounters occurred without a condom, so the idea of getting tested seemed unnecessary to me.
It wasn’t until a confrontation with one of my regular hook-ups that I realized the fault in this logic. It’s important to know your status, even if you don’t think you’ve ever engaged in any risky behavior. With that thought in mind, I hopped in the car with my “sex friend” and headed to the local LGBT health clinic.
The actual test was painless. A small prick on my finger, and the results would be ready in less than a half hour. I mean, how frickin’ easy! As someone who’s extremely afraid of needles, it was comforting to know that I didn’t have to get blood drawn. Just one small prick. That’s all.
And then came the hard part—waiting. Those fifteen to twenty minutes stretched on for what seemed like days, as I met with a counselor and relived my entire sex life. What about that one time the condom broke? What if I was one of those rare cases of contracting HIV through oral sex? What if the test came back positive? What if the test came back positive?
That last question circled around in my brain over and over again, until someone returned with the results. The rest of the story is a blur. A sigh of relief, a handful of condoms, a dinner date at Boston Market (my pal was super classy), and a naughty celebration back at his place, during which we went through a good portion of those aforementioned condoms…
This is my convoluted way of asking if you’ve ever been nervous before, during or after an HIV test. It’s also another drawn-out introduction for the lads of It Gets Betterish, who sparked all these memories with the latest installment of their web series. Click through to watch it, and be sure to head over here for a list of testing resources.
– Dewitt
I feel this is a bit simple minded and mean to those of us who have test positive. Prick!
Though this is a great introduction to people new to the process, it should go with notation that results do not come within the hour and are never administered in public.
Not sure when he had sex with the dude from xtube, but he might want to get tested again, as the neg result would not cover a period of anywhere between 3 weeks and 6 months prior to the test of having measurable antibodies.
Get over your fear.. you owe it to yourself and partners to get tested.
I got tested, but never got the results a while back. :/ Yeah a little scared.
Getting tested next week as it turns out!
Also, where the hell do you go that you don’t get needles and it’s within the hour?
I think our clinic has a 2 week wait minimum…
I was terrified the first time I got tested. The second time I was a bit nervous, but devasted when my results came back Positive. It’s no joking or laughing matter. It’s a devastating diagnosis, made worse when the doctor acts like you deserve it. I’ve been poz since November of 09 and thankfully I am still fairly healthy. I know who I got it from and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t tell the guys he’s with even now, no matter that he doesn’t use protection.
The clinic I go to provides free for high risk individuals (which I believe includes drug users and members of the black community, in addition to gay men). It’s an oral swab and only takes 20 minutes. It’s nerve wracking.
Some friends found out I was gay as they came by to get information on an AIDS walk. Not sure if I was more anxious about them or the results!
clinic i go to on national HIV/Aids day does free testing, was a prick in the finger and 10 mins later the test was done. [negative by the way…
I freak out every time I go for my routine tests. What does that tell you?
i’d never freaked over getting tested.
hell, i’d been getting screened for HIV-antibodies 4 times a year, starting in september 2002.
as a sexually active man, i owe it to myself and to others to Know My Status.
i can’t wait until innovations come about that can finally allow for detections which can be made the same day that a potential infection may have occurred.
(the mechanics for such a thing strikes me as being very very advanced, however — like, some 2113 A.D. kinda stuff.)
I go get tested fairly regularly, every couple of months, and every time I have a little freak out. I don’t think its something you shouldnt freak out about a little.
My boyfriend, who is positive, and I broke up Dec.1 World Aids Day. We never did it though, but we kissed a lot. Should I get tested? I just feel like I should get tested.
The first test that really scared me was when I’d been getting sick and never would get better all the way. I knew I was at high risk, unprotected anal with me as the bottom. The doc told me over the phone! Ass!
On a side note, there are rapid 20 min. tests available for those of you that aren’t aware of it. I guess not everywhere offers them, but they do exist! A positive rapid is confirmed with a regular blood test.
I meant to say she told me I was positive over the phone!
My first test was of mild concern. A flaming twink bottom seduced me for my first experience in 1983, not long after the Gay Man’s Disease had been officially designated AIDS, but the virus had not yet been isolated. He wouldn’t open his mouth when we kissed because he didn’t know if he had been exposed… and we limited oral sex contact… but I filled three condoms pounding his cute butt that night. He was insatiable. When the test finally came out my results were negative, which I expected.