Dr. D.,
I need to talk to someone right away. I went on spring break to Jamaica and I had sex with someone from the island without using protection. I know it was stupid, but I want to be tested for everything. Can you tell me what to get tested for, where and how much it will cost? Thanks.
— Feeling Stupid
Dear F.S.,
“And I feel like I’ve been here before, feel like I’ve been here before,” wrote David Crosby in the classic song “Déjà Vu.” I had an eerily similar feeling when I received your urgent e-mail this weekend.
Sure enough, I looked back to a column I wrote back in March of 2008, post-spring break, and there was a question almost identical to yours. It seems that the post-spring break questions are almost always like this. That does not mean your question is irrelevant or that it should not be taken seriously.
What it does mean is that I feel I am destined to have a recurring role in the movie “Groundhog Day” (you might have to rent it to appreciate the meaning).
Well, I hope that your time on break was memorable for other reasons also.
Let me just say first that whatever you are feeling as part of the post-regret period is fairly normal. Chances are your sexual indiscretions and exploits will not have harmed you. Even if they did, it most likely will be treatable. Let’s also hope that your partner was not harmed and that whatever you chose to do down under was done with mutual consent and respect.
Let’s deal with your concern first.
For those of you who may share the same concern as FS, it should be noted that one of the more important things to know about sexually transmitted infections is that the less potential exposure to an infection there is, the less likely you are to contract it.
In other words, there is a possibility that one could contract an STI from a one-time exposure, but the probability is not as likely.
The most common STIs in the college population and ones you may consider testing for are chlamydia/gonorrhea and HPV/genital warts. You will need to wait two weeks from exposure have identifiable symptoms present to have an accurate test for chlamydia/gonorrhea.
Women can have an HPV test during their annual gynecology exam, although there is no test for men.
You can have the chlamydia/gonorrhea test done at Olin Health Center, or if you prefer to go outside of MSU, at Planned Parenthood or Ingham County Health Department.
At Olin, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing can be done through a urine specimen (in males) and cervical swab (in females). Both cost $50 if paid for on the day of service.
Herpes (HSV) testing is another consideration, although the tests are not very accurate.
There is a blood test and a swab test. The blood test is less sensitive and not very accurate, while the test that swabs an actual lesion (culture) tends to be more accurate.
Either test is about $200, although the culture can cost only $50 if paid for on the day of service. Syphilis is another consideration, done through a blood test and costs about $30.
Hepatitis A and C can be tested for at local health departments at a reasonable cost.
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Testing for HIV also is a consideration, although you will need to wait another three to four weeks from last exposure to test. There needs to be enough antibodies available in your body in order for the test to have good accuracy.
That test also can be done here at Olin Health Center and there is no charge if you go through Olin Health Education Services. You can find more information on the Olin Web site.
If you find yourself in ?a position where you are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, it is critical to let your partner know (if you know her and can locate her) so they can be tested as well. Both partners need to be treated to be sure an STI isn’t passed back and forth or to another person.
No one likes to feel stupid. Even though there will be some who will say, you deserve what you get or that’s what you get for not thinking, I am not going there.
The lesson here is that sometimes people do get “stupid,” and that’s just part of life.
As the song goes on to say, “We have all been here before, we have all been here before.”
The key to living fully in the future is to minimize the stupid moments and embrace the sensible moments, so that we don’t have to repeat the past.
Déjà vu! Peace, love dove.
— Dr. D.
_Dennis Martell, Ph. D.m is a coordinator of Olin Health Center education. E-mail him your questions at dennis.martell@ht.msu.edu.
