Getting tested for STIs and sharing results?

[Cabrinha]

Still in process of divorce and not expecting to date so soon, but met someone I liked, he asked for my number...

I'm thinking ahead a bit, but prompted by several threads today talking about STI checks: if we both got checked out, do you just trust the other to tell you the truth on results, or do you actually get a little printout with "Herpes - clear, Chlamydia - clear" etc?

I've no idea!

The clinic I go to sends a text 7 days later saying "This is X Clinic. Regarding your recent appointment no further action is needed. Thank you" or similar. Like lots of places, it's called Joe Bloggs Clinic, rather than Royal London Hospital Clap Clinic Don't know what it says if one does have something, thankfully, but I imagine it's something like "Please contact [this number] to discuss your results"

IME they don't just say "You're fine. You caught it off a towel" face to face.

Some places do 'no news is good news' ie if you haven't heard with x time you are clear. Other places just send a text saying 'all clear' or similar. You can request a letter with results but last time I did that (to get married abroad, not to prove to a partner) it cost £25 similar to a gp letter.

But it has never crossed my mind not to trust the guy to be honest.

I was tested recently, I was given a slip of paper with a phone number and a code. I had to wait a week and then ring up, it was an automated thing which just went "HIV.....clear. Syphillis....clear" etc. I was a bit taken aback by that to be honest, isn't it a bit brutal to be told you're HIV positive by a machine? Although luckily I didn't have to find out.

It's never crossed my mind not to trust them either. I always presume that they've been tested, but then I always use condoms at the start. Usually when it gets more serious I'll broach the subject and we'll ditch the condoms if we're both clear. I wouldn't need proof, I'd just trust them.

Interesting about just trusting, I did wonder if people would say that. I'm a good way off leaving off condoms! So perhaps I'd agree with you, when I get to that point. Whilst I would say I have trust issues, having recently left a cheating partner, it does make you think it's perhaps sensible not to trust!
Thanks for the info.

I think if your HIV test came back positive they'd call you in and break it to you in person - at least, I hope so! When I've been in the past the nurse gave me the results about 20 minutes later. Another time they never got back to me so I assumed that no news was good news.

Can I just add a quick hijack?

How do they test for STIs - is it a blood test or swab?

Blood test for HIV and maybe some others, swab for gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia afaik