Sexual health

[beckywiththegoodhair27]

Saw something earlier that made me think about sexual health.

I last had a full check including blood test when I was pregnant 8 years ago! Since then I've mostly been careful but did have one 4 month fling with someone and didn't use protection. After that ended I did a home test for the 'common' STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhoea which came back clear.

I've been with my current dp two years and during this time I have taken another one of the diy tests for the same things (as I had one weird symptom and was worried it had come from dp). It also came back clear.

I read in an article this morning that it's good practice to get a full screen every year! Even if you're in a monogamous relationship. Does anyone really do this? I mean if it were offered to me in pregnancy or when I was having a smear or something like that I would take it but it's not something I'd actively seek out unless I thought I'd exposed myself to something?

[Skittlenommer]

I go and get tested every year without fail. Been with my DH (he had no previous partners) for 11 years. No concerns about cheating but it’s good practice.

They’ve found BV and or thrush on several occasions and a nasty cervix infection on another! So it’s useful as a general check up of your bits to see that everything is in order.

[beckywiththegoodhair27]

@Skittlenommer wow it's simply never occurred to me. I mean if I had nasty symptoms down there I would go but if everything feels normal I wouldn't give it a second thought.

My gp don't even screen for sexual health stuff, you'd have to go to the gum clinic and living in a small village/town like I do it's one of those things that I would dread!

[Skittlenommer]

I go to the GUM Clinic and I find myself always blurting out ‘I haven’t cheated’ when they find out I’m married! LOL.

It’s a bit embarrassing but it’s something I did religiously every 6 months as a singleton (whether I’d slept with anybody or not) and so I think I’m just in the habit although have nudged it down to an annual check-up now.

It’s useful because I seem to get infections with no symptoms and can’t for the life of me get an appt with my GP. Think I’d literally have to be dead just to get past the receptionist! I don’t bother to get a blood work (HIV, Syphilis etc) anymore. Just swabs for bacterial infections and more often than not I have something going on (BV, thrush, cervicitis etc) which require treatment.

[IntoValhalla]

I used to be routinely tested for everything (every 6ish months) from when I was 16 and joined the army - it was just what we did when the time rolled around, along with compulsory drugs testing.
Since leaving, I’ve had the usual infectious diseases screening at the start of all 3 pregnancies and always been clear - but DH is the only person I’ve had sex with in 8 years!
Never had a UTI, thrush or BV in my entire life - which according to my current midwife makes me quite the anomaly I think probably the only problem I’ve ever had “down there” is an ingrown hair