AnxietyFilter: had a risky sex encounter 8 months ago, just tested HIV-negative, and still going a little crazy. Help? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 16, 2009 - 26 answers

How do I let my boyfriend know I have herpes? When should I tell him? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 22, 2009 - 16 answers

When do you tell someone you have HSV1? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 10, 2009 - 25 answers

Who in San Francisco will prescribe Gardasil off-label to men? I figure there's probably a couple doctors around here doing it. Maybe someone practicing in the gay community? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 30, 2009 - 11 answers

How accurate are the media portrayals of young people engaging in risky sexual behaviors? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jul 8, 2009 - 54 answers

How long does it take for gonorrhea medication to work? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 23, 2009 - 4 answers

Should I be concerned about a casual fling with someone with herpes? (NSFW-ish) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 7, 2009 - 27 answers

I'm a straight male, and I have genital wart-causing HPV. I have searched high and low and can't find straightforward answers to a few questions. I need some help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 16, 2009 - 10 answers

How herpes is infectious during the incubation period? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 11, 2009 - 7 answers

My boyfriend's gonorrhea throat swab came back "equivocal/inconclusive." He's been retested, but results will take two weeks. Meanwhile, I'm arriving to visit him in two weeks and ... we would like to be intimate. Help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 8, 2009 - 7 answers

A friend of mine showed me his penis with some concern. I don't think it's anything, but there were two dark brown freckle-looking things on the tip that probably weren't there before, and he claims to feel strange. Does anyone have any idea what this could be, or if it could be something alarming? The freckles are just minor discolourations and are not raised. Thank you. Prompt responses are appreciated!
posted by howgenerica on Apr 17, 2009 - 15 answers

Individual health insurance and sti. What to do? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 22, 2009 - 5 answers

Is gym-provided workout clothing safe to wear? [more inside]
posted by abdulf on Dec 29, 2008 - 10 answers

I'm worried that I have genital herpes. I don't have any lesions, but I know that's not conclusive, and it's going to be a long, long time until a clear antibody test is definitive. How can I stay sane until then? (You are neither my doctor nor my shrink; I have done my Google reading. ) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 14, 2008 - 9 answers

How safe is Craigslist? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 27, 2008 - 10 answers

How do I deal with HIV test window period anxiety? I had a risky encounter (unprotected sex) with a girl last week -- I trusted her when she said she'd been tested, which she told me on the way to the bedroom (had she not said anything I wouldn't have asked, and just used a condom). Before the encounter, I thought I knew her pretty well as she'd been a friend for a few months. Shortly afterwards she announces that she has a new boyfriend and cuts off all contact with me. I know I should get tested, but HIV tests aren't conclusive until after 3 months since it takes time for the antibodies to show up. I wouldn't be so worried if she'd still be talking to me. My question is ... how do I deal with the anxiety for the next three months? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 20, 2008 - 22 answers

What precautions should my partner and I take if we want to share a silicone sex toy without spreading HPV between us? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 9, 2008 - 7 answers

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl tells boy she has genital herpes (type 1). Boy says that's OK, I want to be with you. Now boy wants advice on safety. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 8, 2008 - 10 answers

Clearing HPV: Help me understand this journal article, specifically the concept of rate ratio and how it translates into real-world risk. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Feb 25, 2008 - 3 answers

Strange bumps on labia that seem to harbor either small piece of flesh or bizarre unknown creature, bleed profusely after extraction with fingernails then heal up without trace of their existence...this is incredibly embarrassing to ask EVEN under the blanket of anonymity so please be kind. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 23, 2008 - 24 answers

Can your health insurance company raise your rates when you have a positive STD test? Does this typically happen? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 7, 2008 - 15 answers

I have an STD and don't know what time is the right time in terms of telling the partner. Please help, I'm scared out of mind! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 16, 2007 - 42 answers

So my girlfriend went to the "girl doctor" and was told that she might have chlamydia..ok shocking but no big deal. The doctor also noticed a bump on her rear end..and stated that it was a type of viral infection. Now the doctor tells her that its very uncommon to have a bacterial and viral infection at the same time. That it could be a sign of HIV..... Any truth to this? We are both freaking out now and the test results don't come back until wednesday.. She said she was tested before me and was clean.. I personally was never tested, but my ex-girlfriend was (the only other one I've been with) and she was clean of HIV and everything as well..
posted by anonymous on Dec 3, 2007 - 23 answers

Okay, I'll just say it: I've got genital warts. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 5, 2007 - 11 answers

I was misdiagnosed and found out after a lot of pain and money from a different doctor that I have an STD.... uh, should I sue? This is long, so if you're of the tl;dr crowd, bypass please. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 20, 2007 - 40 answers

Is there anything really wrong with (moderate? binge?) drinking while taking a course of antibiotics... or is my (frequently preachy, moralizing, unctuous, underfunded, dodgy-quality) free clinic just trying to pull one over on me? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 17, 2007 - 17 answers

So I just found out I might have Reiter's syndrome. Please tell me how big a deal this is, what your personal experiences might be and what I should do next. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 24, 2007 - 3 answers

My roommate has three unidentifiable pimple-like things in his pubic area and is now kind of freaking out. One has been there about a week or so and the other two just showed up in the last day or two so we're looking for possible ideas of what they could be. [more inside]
posted by adamdrici on Jul 2, 2007 - 20 answers

I learned in various sex-ed classes that some STD's, if undiagnosed or improperly treated during a pregnancy, can cause blindness in infants. Can you tell me more about this? [more inside]
posted by BE ADEQUITE on Jun 8, 2007 - 19 answers

STD-filter - men spreading bacterial vaginosis? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 24, 2007 - 8 answers

Other than abstinence, condoms and being careful, if there anything that can be done to help avoid catching HPV? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 17, 2006 - 23 answers

Is there any use in me getting tested for any/all STD/STI's after only a few months since possible exposure? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 28, 2006 - 18 answers

MexicanSexRelationshipFilter. How to best question my partner about his sexual escapades without accusing him of infidelity? [more inside]
posted by pants on Jul 3, 2006 - 31 answers

Posting this question for a friend (obviously, since I don't have the parts involved). A rash around the base of the penis -- what could cause it? [more inside]
posted by dagnyscott on Jul 1, 2006 - 10 answers

HPV and all that it entails. Transmission, treatment, talking with partners. I've read this and this and this. I've talked to my doctor, I've read the websites, I'm still confused. And do I need a new doctor? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 30, 2006 - 6 answers

What is the relative safety of certain sexual acts with a partner who has had one confirmed outbreak of genital herpes and no subsequent outbreaks? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 11, 2006 - 11 answers

I just started a new relationship.. It's phenomenal and we've both felt that we're in love. I care deeply for her, but I don't know how to tell her about the fact that I have Herpes. Does anyone have advice on how to break the news? [more inside]
posted by bhenry on Dec 23, 2005 - 20 answers

Someone I know was diagnosed with HPV. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 14, 2005 - 10 answers

Should I consider Herpes a deal-breaker before getting into a relationship? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 8, 2005 - 52 answers

Lately it seems that several of my friends are receiving HPV diagnoses, with all the accompanying uncertainty that entails. Given how little research we have on HPV and the relative benignity of the diagnosis, how should the topic be discussed with prospective partners? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 23, 2005 - 10 answers

Is there a service that will, either through the internet or snail mail or even via telephone, notify your previous sex partners that you may have given them a sexually transmitted disease? [more inside]
posted by Clay201 on May 9, 2005 - 11 answers

What's involved in getting a full STD screening? Where do you go? How much does it cost? Can it be done anonymously?

I have led a foolish life, and it's finally become neccessary to see if the damage is permanent. Is there anything else that somebody who has engaged in a lot of high-risk activities should have checked before proceeding on with life?
posted by anonymous on Dec 23, 2004 - 14 answers

HPV has been discussed a couple times here before, but I have a new question. A few months ago my pap smear came back abnormal, and soon I'm going in for a colposcopy. I tried doing some research on this, but internet resources weren't very detailed, and I don't know if I have a good doctor (I'm a student on an HMO). I'm wondering: how painful is the biopsy/LEEP they sometimes do after a colposcopy? How likely is it they'll even do a biopsy or LEEP if the test came back with a mild dysplasia? And how common is it for a woman to have to go back for colposcopies later in her life, if her first abnormal pap was at 22? Does the virus just usually go away, or does it get worse? Any OB-GYNs out there?
posted by anonymous on Dec 6, 2004 - 9 answers

Possible-STD-filter: I recently slept with a woman a few times. She just learned from her doctor (and kindly notified me) that she has Human Papilloma Virus (the nice way of saying "genital warts"). We had very safe sex the couple of nights we spent together, but each link I've found talks about how condoms don't provide 100% protection and how men are effectively just carriers. Further, no tests exist to determine whether men have it.

So what do I do? I've seen no symptoms arise in the month or two since we slept together, and while I'm not fighting off teeming hordes of nubile women, I am single and would like to retain the option to round the bases when and if the opportunity occurs, without worrying about endangering their health (HPV apparently can lead to cervical cancer in women).

This is exactly the sort of thing that makes me so grateful for AnonyMe's existence... except I can't imagine responding to it myself.
posted by anonymous on Nov 2, 2004 - 8 answers

I was recently diagnosed with HPV. The strain I have does not cause genital warts (thank god) but does cause cervical abnormalities that could lead to cancer. I've done my research on this, and I've learned that HPV is extremely prevalent and shouldn't be stigmatized, but it is nonetheless. Here's my question: I know my ex gave it to me, and I know he doesn't know he's a carrier (because he got tested for STDs and came back clean before we did it). I think he's a jerk and I don't really want to talk to him, but am I obligated to tell him so he can tell all the other girls he's infected? I'm afraid he'll tell all of our mutual friends that I have an STD. Help.
posted by anonymous on Oct 27, 2004 - 31 answers

What do you know about herpes? I was reading some blog somewhere and in a comment somebody said condoms don't do a great job protecting against herpes. That didn't sound right to me since that's pretty much the only reason I was wearing the things, so off I go to dig up some research. And, I found some statistics that curdled my blood. Hypochondriacs may want to stop reading now, because after reading some of this, I'm afraid to even touch myself. It seems that:

* More than 45 million people in the US have genital herpes
* One in five people in the US over the age of 12 has genital herpes
* One in four women in the US over the age of 12 has genital herpes
* One in two African American women over the age of 12 has genital herpes

What?!

Seriously, as you might imagine, that raises many, many questions, not the least of which is -- could that possibly be true and how is it that I and my circle of friends had never heard those statistics before? Because that's just insane and I would expect a lot of people to be shouting that from the treetops and wearing ribbons and running marathons for the cure. [more inside]
posted by willnot on Jun 21, 2004 - 22 answers