Have You Ever Been Tested For HIV?

[arwalden]

Poll question: Have You Ever Been Tested For HIV?

If you don't post a text reply, your poll answer is anonymous.

You don't need to share your test results... unless you want to... I was just wondering how many of you have ever been tested.

[SaveElmer]

1. When I gave blood...nt

[sabbat hunter]

7. ditto

everytime i give blood

[benddem]

15. me too

and in the Army everyone was tested.

[indepat]

2. For application for life insurance

[SweetLeftFoot]

3. Came up negative

which was good coz I was jacking up anything I could get into a fit during that nasty period of my life.

Go communist Australia with its government sponsored needle exchanges!!

[JimmyJazz]

4. Twice: It's now mandatory in Delaware for pregnant women

and I would imagine that it's mandatory in most states, but I'm not sure.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

5. I've given blood several times.

I'm good. I'm a preferred donor now...
Duckie

[MrSlayer]

6. No.

I never saw a reason to.

[whodiedandmadeUSgod]

8. Yes!

I'm a nurse and have had several occupational exposures. All tests negative for which I am thankful. Also one time when I was in my 20's I got tested after having unprotected sex. I was terrified to get the results which ended up being negative.

[two gun sid]

9. Three times.

In the service
after I got out of the service
when I was exposed to Hepatitis B blood at work

[Bunny]

10. Yes, both for insurance purposes,and as presurgery testing.

Since I've never been informed to the contrary, I assume I do not have HIV.

[jmm]

11. Once when I went on the pill.

My doctor thought anyone who was sexually active should be tested and I agree with him so I did it. Then a few more times after that when I donated blood.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. I had a great gynecologist when I was first married

She asked me if I wanted to be tested. I asked why I would need to be tested since I was married and in a monogamous relationship. She replied that just because I was didn't mean that he was. I've been tested every year since then.

[mcscajun]

14. You have a wise doctor, and you are also wise.

Better to know than not.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. That's advice I've passed on to my own daughter

It is better to know than not.

[Zuni]

13. for a presurgery test

I was clean, negative. Then again I always use protection and I am afraid of needles, so IV drugs aren't too tempting

[sundog]

16. yup... a few times

sorry to say, but when you're a gay male & not in a ltr, it's part of the package...

that's life

neg, btw

[GirlinContempt]

18. It should be

part of the package for everyone, gay or straight, who isn't in a LTR and is sexually active.

I'm glad your safe :)

[sundog]

34. no kidding

i've been tested about 6 times thus far... a couple more than a few :7

the day a resolution to hiv is found will be a sweet day indeed

till then, we do what we have to

hey ya gic :hi:

[GirlinContempt]

17. Yes. Every 3-4 months

i get tested for everything, unless I have been totally celibate since at least a month prior to my last test. Every second time, I have a gyno exam too, even if I skip the STD tests due to celibacy.

TMI?

Oh, and have always been neg on everything.

WTMI?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. Not TMI

Good sound advice. Too often we think we're invincible until we find out otherwise. There's nothing wrong with taking control of your health. :thumbsup:

[GirlinContempt]

24. It only makes sense

even in a serious relationship, I trust my partner (otherwise I wouldn't be with them), but would I bet my LIFE that they aren't screwing around? No. I wouldn't bet my life on anything. And that is essentially what you're doing if you don't get tested regularly.

:)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

32. Never bet your life on someone else's fidelity

That's one thing we tend to believe in but have no real control over.
I'm with you, I get tested regularly

[Liberal Veteran]

35. I did that when I was a lot younger...I lost that bet.

Trust can be easily misplaced. That's how I got HIV.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

38. I'm very sorry that happened to you

There but for the grace of <insert deity of choice> goes I.

There's nothing so shocking as to have given your heart to a person and trust them with your body only to find out they betrayed your trust. They've been playing games with your health and your well being.

Lucky for me the only disease my spouse brought home was curable. It very well could not have been, however.

[Liberal Veteran]

39. Well, it could be worse for me...

I was healthy for 15 years before finding out the whole horrible truth about what happened back then.

Now I've been on meds for 5 years and still work a full-time job. Many people I knew didn't make it as long as I did.

We just count our blessing where we find them.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

40. You're doing well!

I too know people who weren't as blessed as you've been. It's hard to deal with, but when I hear of a story like yours it gives me hope again. Treatments are better and there is a stronger understanding. My cousin contracted HIV in the mid 80's back then it was pretty much hit and miss as far as treatment went.

[Zuni]

27. wow

:thumbsup:

[NoSheep]

19. When my eleven yr relationship ended. I got tested before I started

another.

[bridgit]

22. no, but i did work as an HIV/AIDS counselor...

:cry: and lost many whom then became friends ~

[Mojambo]

23. I give blood regularly n/t

[SarahB]

25. A number of times.

During pregnancy, donating blood, for life insurance, and for work and school (I'm a nursing student who works in medicine). Negative. A big part of why I ultimately prefer monogamy.

[GirlinContempt]

26. :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3632551&mesg_id=3632801

[SarahB]

30. I agree.

All the times I was tested was during (what I was pretty sure was) a monogamous relationship. I've had very few relationships period and even fewer that weren't mutually exclusive. Still though, I agree, be careful. :)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. it is mandated in NY with prenatal care

[Deja Q]

29. Yes. Unsurprisingly, tested negative.

I still am not allowed to donate because of their silly rule. (gee, celibacy (chosen or otherwise) doesn't matter if you're a homo?!)

[TBreeze]

31. Three times

Twice, when I was pregnant with each of my boys. My doctor tests every pregnant patient for HIV and STDs early on just as a routine precaution. She did say you have the option to decline the HIV test (this was in 2002, I don't know if it's changed) but she said almost everyone gets it unless they'd be tested recently elsewhere. I had another test also when I found out my ex was messing around. Luckily, all was negative.

[tyedyeto]

33. Yes, when my now ex came clean about an affair he was having

and the b*tch was also screwing around with a bunch of lowlifes. I tested to make sure he didn't transfer anything to me.

[Lady Effingbroke]

36. Yes, when I found out my ex-bf was screwing around with a girl who was

shooting speed, coke, and a variety of other substances, and who was sleeping with a multitude of other people.

Neg for HIV, plus I got tested for other STDs and was neg for them as well.

[LeftyMom]

37. 3 times, plus every time I give blood

1. as a kid by health insurer
2. after I found my loser ex was cheating, I got tested for everything that had a test
3. while pregnant, again I was tested for anything that had a test

[ghostsofgiants]

41. Nope

The one advantage of never getting laid: never having to worry about STDs.

[Lady President]

42. Yes, fortunately negative

The first time I was tested was after a call my parents received from some government agency. Despite being a virgin, non drug user, and never having a transfusion, I was at high risk. Why? When I was in elementary school in the early 80s I had a benign tumor and a piece of my jaw removed. Because I was still growing the common practice was to pack the facial bone injury with cadaver bones. (Basically a powder made from a mix of many people's bones so rejection isn't an issue.) In the early 80s gay men were the group most likely to donate their tissues. However, there wasn't any testing for HIV then. Now, bodies are tested for HIV before donation and the bones are freezed dried-- perfectly safe.

I was extremely fortunate to test negative, but since then I have been acutely aware that anyone can be HIV+.

I've also been tested when I've given blood.

[LoZoccolo]

43. Yes, and I'd like to share how freaked out I was beforehand.

You can see it right here on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3172795

I want to share this with everyone else who's afraid of getting it done so that they know they're not alone in being nervous and afraid, but that it's ultimately worth it. If you don't have it, you can feel relieved, and if you do, early treatment can do a lot to stall it's progress and you can live a very long time with it (I didn't really know this until recently).

(And in case you're curious...)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3174953

[liss681]

44. when I was pregnant

because my husband was a heroin addict before I met him

[sakabatou]

45. Since I give blood....

[REP]

46. Negative for All Infectious Diseases

I've had a lot of tests while they tried to figure out what's wrong with me. All the iunfectious disease tests were negative.

[Not_Giving_Up]

47. Both times when I was pregnant n/t

[Radio_Lady]

48. Had sex with a human tom cat and didn't know where he had been before

Ordered by my doctor. Negative (thank God...)

[ForrestGump]

49. The Feds required it of me

I think that's the only time. Oh, maybe when I got married, too -- can't recall; trying to block all that out.

By now I should be about the safest man in the Northern Hemisphere. Even this dude is higher risk than me, I'm sure:

[Behind the Aegis]

50. Multiple times

I am in a LTR (3.5 years) and we were both tested, and both negative. I had to stop my work with HIV/AIDS patients though. The emotional toll was too much. I do educational programs (well, I did when employed). There is one poster here that I always say a prayer for every time I see his name. It is my hope that he will stay healthy enough to see a cure.

On a side note: one of my baby brothers (Jewish doctor, single, straight male...HINT, HINT...any nice Jewish girls out there) who is in Kenya right now doing education on AIDS/HIV and setting up inoculations for Kenyans (and the Maasai)!

[zoids]

51. My wife and I

have been faithful to each other for over 25 years! So, the answer is no.

[terrya]

52. Yes...and I was continually tested during an HIV vaccine study...

I volunteered for.

I'm HIV-, btw.

[Debbi801]

53. I have tested twice, both times negative...

Once after leaving my ex-husband because I knew he had been unfaithful. Then again when I was pregnant with my 3 yr old.

[Beware the Beast Man]

54. Yes. Twice.

It was scary as hell, but it gave me peace of mind. I'm negative.

[supernova]

55. No I haven't

But only because I've never had unprotected sex.

However, the kind of live I lead now, I wouldn't hesitate to get tested if I wound up having unprotected sex.

[Trigger Hippie]

56. I've never had one.

I've had sex so rarely in my life, and never unprotected, that I never really felt the urgent need to get tested. But I guess I should just to make sure I'm OK. :)

[RayOfHope]

57. Twice while pg, once when donating blood n/t