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Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 12:12:21 PM   
kitastrophe33


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I'll give credit to BoiJen's post on STD screening etiquette questions for jogging my memory about wanting to post this...I could post in response to that thread, but it would be at the end, and people don't always read that many...So.

This is definitely a personal topic, but it sucked so much, I want to share it so maybe someone else can avoid it.


A few months after my BF and I started having unprotected sex, (we each had "STD testing" before that). A couple months later, I started having some odd symptoms. Periodic cramping toward the end of sex, break through bleeding with my birth control pills, etc. Internet research suggested pelvic inflammatory disease, but I thought that was not possible, given that we both had been given a "clean bill of health". At my annual 3 months later, I complained of the symptoms, and the doctor sort of dismissed them as "not on common" with the type of pills I take. I, again, told him I wanted to be screened for STD's. Again, I was told that I was clean.

One year passed, symptoms continue, and I decided for my next annual I'd find a different doctor. I went to her, and as part of her work up of those symptoms, she wanted to do STD testing. I didn't think it was necessary, but she's the doc and I have insurance anyway, so I said okay. And what do you know, it came back positive for Chlamydia. My head spun and I felt nauseous. I lived 30 years, had a lot of sex, and NEVER had a positive STD test. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd been unfaithful, etc. It was awful.

And then medical records were reviewed. It turns out that his doctor, despite the fact that he had asked for "STD testing," did not do a Chlamydia/Gohorrhea test. Apparently 30 year old engineers, in this guy's mind, are not at risk for those diseases. Similarly, 29 year old nurses are apparently not at risk either, cuz even though I had symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease, that jackass MD that blew off the symptoms, did not test me either.

We did our course of antibiotics, and are fine now, but having PID that long increases my risk of infertility or atopic pregnancy. Not to mention all the trauma about wondering if someone had been cheating.

The point of this (admittedly not specifically BDSM related) post is just to let you guys know that some doctors really profile their patients. So be specific when you ask for STD testing. And dammit, go to a different doctor sooner if you're getting blown off by one.



(Edited because I'm OCD and don't like typos).

< Message edited by kitastrophe33 -- 4/16/2010 12:13:44 PM >
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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 1:50:18 PM   
Wolf2Bear


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The one thing about chlamydia is the virus can lay dormant for many years undetected and the person is symptom free until some other influence aggravates the virus into action. What I do when I voluntary go to get tested is I strongly request to be tested for most of the common STD's that are floating around. I haven't been denied this though I always go to my local health clinic to have this done. I had been questioned to the reason why I ask for a full panel and I simply tell them that it's part of my taking responsibility for my sexual health. In the end, I can rest easy knowing that I am being responsible for myself and to my future sexual partners. 

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 2:51:52 PM   
VaguelyCurious


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That story makes me glad to live in the UK-most GP surgeries stock free home-use chlamydia tests (you post the swabs to a lab somewhere and they post you back the results, I think) and chlamydia testing is a routine part of a sexual health checkup.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 5:14:47 PM   
GraciousLady


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Thank you for posting this and thank you for caring enough to share such a private story. You have helped people understand how to protect themselves better.

< Message edited by GraciousLady -- 4/16/2010 5:15:12 PM >

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 5:24:58 PM   
thornhappy


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Actually chlamydia's a bacteria; the good thing that it's a shot in the butt for a fix, according to the nurse practitioner at my doc's (we were talking of the good ol' days before a rapid test.  It was the cause of a lot of infertility back then, less so nowadays.)

HSV2 can camp out for decades (must have a fuckin' RV!) in your spinal nerves and can be treated with acyclovir or vancyclovir.
quote:

ORIGINAL: Wolf2Bear

The one thing about chlamydia is the virus can lay dormant for many years undetected and the person is symptom free until some other influence aggravates the virus into action. What I do when I voluntary go to get tested is I strongly request to be tested for most of the common STD's that are floating around. I haven't been denied this though I always go to my local health clinic to have this done. I had been questioned to the reason why I ask for a full panel and I simply tell them that it's part of my taking responsibility for my sexual health. In the end, I can rest easy knowing that I am being responsible for myself and to my future sexual partners. 

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 5:39:50 PM   
DarlingSavage


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Sorry to hear that you went through this, but statistics and studies show that doctors are commonly swayed by personal prejudices. Black people are more likely to end up with amputations than whites and it goes on down from there. Black women have a higher death rate from breast cancer than white women. I don't know what race you are, but these are the facts.

I'll have to look up this stuff, but why do I always run across stuff like this when I'm a little too buzzed?

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 7:17:58 PM   
kiwisub12


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Interestingly, last time I was in New Zealand - within the past 6 months - I was struck with TV ads targeting the Maori population, specifically women. Apparently, Maori women are a lot less likely to get yearly pap smears, and I would deduce, their rate of cervical cancer would be higher.
It was a neat ad., a group of women at the shore, talking and laughing, and saying if the doctor wants to look down there, she would let him. I haven't lived in the country in quite a while, but i would imagine there is a cultural bias against pelvic exams, since the only ethnic group targeted was Polynesian.

anyway - its a bit off topic, but sort of not.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 8:59:53 PM   
Termyn8or


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Actually if you live in the US that might be actionable. They took their's, take your's.

T

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/16/2010 9:45:40 PM   
petmonkey


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quote:

ORIGINAL: GraciousLady

Thank you for posting this and thank you for caring enough to share such a private story. You have helped people understand how to protect themselves better.


Seconded.


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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 12:15:33 AM   
GinoVega


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Reading that brought real tears into my eyes. Thank you very much for posting your story...

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 12:18:11 AM   
thelustfulsub


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I think that it is quite illegal for a doctor to not run a test that you ask for if you or your insurance will pay for it. You may want to look into medical law and letting someone know. It doesn't matter if you're a virgin nun. If you ask for an STD test and the doc doesn't do it... well that's just wrong. That's not their judgment call at ALL. If you or your insurance are paying for it then they have no right to not test when you ask for it.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 1:13:53 AM   
CynthiaWVirginia


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Thank you for posting this.  I plan to find out exactly what tests are done in the future, and not leave it only up to the doctor.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 10:48:24 AM   
afkarr


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Try the local health department.....no profiling, everybody gets the standard battery of tests. The operating theory is that if anybody- and ESPCIALLY educated, insured, supposedly monagamous people- are at the health department STD clinic, they probably have a good reason that they don't neccessarily want to share with their personal physician.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 10:55:53 AM   
countrychick


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I'm sorry to read that you had to go such an ordeal. Here in Canada when I go for my yearly checkup Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are two tests that are done because of the pap smear. I'm very surprised to hear that wouldn't be standard procedure to check for those two when it can be done so simply. Thank you for your story and I'll remember this if I ever end living up in the USA.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/17/2010 5:17:36 PM   
DWCskitten


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DarlingSavage
statistics and studies show that doctors are commonly swayed by personal prejudices.

Isn't that the truth!? my doctor won't only give me a hard time about STD testing, but she even balks at questions about rear-end hygiene. i thought personal predjudices weren't supposed to affect the care someone receives. At least that's what they taught us in nursing school.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/18/2010 12:30:56 AM   
kitastrophe33


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You're very welcome!

Honestly, I'm just glad to see how many people have read the post. We did everything we were supposed to in terms of trying to protect ourselves and each other and still ended up in a situation that really brings out the ugly in a relationship. We're pretty solid, so that part was short, but we won't know the medical effects until we try to have a baby.

If I had known that our doctors only test people they considered to be "at risk," I could have pressed that issue and avoided all of it. I was really angry about that, but there's nothing to do with that anger. All I can do is try to help other people avoid it.

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/19/2010 7:01:05 PM   
kiyari


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Many years ago, when I had concerns, and went to my(*) physician,
and requested a full spectrum of tests, he declined,
and instead offered presumptive treatment.

Why?

Because, according to then-LAW, he would have had to report testing me.

Whether that would have applied only in the case of a POSITIVE result or not, I do not know.

There ya go - doctors and goobermint.

(*): MY"? as if we all have one in pocket, right?

< Message edited by kiyari -- 4/19/2010 7:02:30 PM >


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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 4/19/2010 8:49:45 PM   
kitastrophe33


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They do have to report it, but it's really not about telling someone you have chlamydia and being all big brotherish. It's more of an epidemiology thing. Keeping track of how many cases are occurring. Because of the health risk, they are required to make sure partner notification has happened. If you get tested by the department of health, then ya, they may call you to ask if you've notified all your partners. Your regular doctor just reports it and tells you to tell your partner how ot get treatment...no one hassles you beyond that.

I guess you could presumptively treat, but depending your lifestyle, treating that often without testing might get excessive. Whatever works and keeps you safe, though...

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RE: Doctors' biases...warning! - 6/20/2010 7:08:39 PM   
SirsJewel


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great info ty ~ jewels

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