Welcome to another episode of the patient stories from Better2 Know.
At Better2 Know, we believe that sharing personal experiences can help break down the stigma that many people feel to be tested on STDs. We have collected stories from people who have been tested to inspire and encourage others to take this important step for their sexual health.
Certain names and details in these stories have been changed for privacy.
If you have had sex and you are worried about STDs, Better2 Know is here to help.
“It was a problem that I had to deal with. You hear that these things happen to other people and you think, what is the effort? But if it happens to you, it will be so real. Ugh.”
Izzi is not the kind of person you would expect to be so open about talking about being tested on STDs. When Better2 Know spoke with her for the first time about a video call, she had her make -up completely ready and was wearing a light blue flower dress, as if she was about to spend an evening with friends on a patio. She is gently spoken and her answers are tight and cut, as if she is about to say something that she is not sure if she should do that.
“Sorry,” she said, pulling her hands to her face. “This is difficult.”
The story of Izzi started when she was in the twenties. She took a group holiday to Amsterdam, where she met a history teacher named Rolf by one of her cousins who lived in Rotterdam. They met one night in a bar outside a tram stop, while the rope lights began to flicker and marked the end of the day at 6 p.m.
“He seemed really interesting. I think we shared a sense of humor. He said his uncle was an animator in Finland who worked on the Moomins. I loved the Moomins as a child. After he told me, we left.”
Izzi eventually expanded her vacation from four days to seven. She stayed with Rolf in a small flat with a view of a canal and a small square, where an orchestra gave free concerts.
“I had never done anything like that. It is not like me. I don’t think I would do it again someday. My manager told me at work! By the end I had this strange feeling about the whole thing, and I was ready to go home. By the way, after the third day we didn’t really have much different. You can only get so much out of a situation.”
Izzi and Rolf have kept in touch in the coming months, always planning to meet again, but never gain it. Eventually the journey took off her mind and she continued her life.
“It was a problem that I had to deal with. You hear that these things happen to other people and you think, what is the effort? But if it happens to you, it will be so real.”
“At that time I remember that it was important to get a test to find out if I had something. I got one, but it was negative. So I didn’t really think about it after that.”
Izzi returned to London and worked at an academic publisher as an editorial assistant. But six months after her trip she met Tim, an engineer from Flintshire.
“Tim felt very strong about the fact that we were both tested before we [got physical]. I didn’t mind. I told him I had recently tested, but I could do it as [it would make him happy]. He said that his mother has always drilled in him to use protection, to test as much as possible, because at some point in her life she got hepatitis. I wasn’t worried because I was negative for the first time. ‘
However, the assumptions of Izzi were wrong. She was tested with a private service and when the results came back, she was surprised to see that she was positive for Chlamydia.
“It was very embarrassing. I was so casual about the whole thing. I was really shocked. There were never symptoms; no sign of anything wrong.”
Izzi wondered how it could have happened because she was tested after her contact person with Rolf.
“I think I might have been tested too early? I looked at it. Apparently you can’t test positive until a time has passed. I was tested immediately. I might not give it enough time.”
In the end, Izzi was happy with the way things go. She went to her doctor for some medication, who almost immediately released the infection.
“Fortunately what happened. If I hadn’t met Tim, I would probably not have discovered that I would have had it. I would feel terrible if I had passed it on, especially to him. And then there are the long -term health problems. I know that Chlamydia had a little in that department for a long time.
Izzi was categorical when he was asked what she would tell other people who think to be tested.
“It is not worth postponing. I know a few people who have not been tested and probably should. It takes a few minutes. Ready.”
When we asked if she would have children, Izzy said she made plans.
“At the moment we are just trying to have some fun and not to think too much about it. Who knows what could happen?”
Don’t leave your sexual health to chance. Book an STD test at a sexual health clinic in your area.
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