Self sti check kits

[m@rk]

Has anyone had any experience of the sti kits you order and send off the tests via the post?

Im thinking of getting myself checked (20 years if punting and no symptoms) but just thought i would.

If not is it as easy as ringing an nhs clinic and makimg an appointment for a test and get the results there and then?

[geordieman]

I used a postal service once.  Ordered the kit online and it was posted to me.  Did the test and sent off the samples.  The results were texted to me and said the test for syphilis was inconclusive and I should go to an NHS gum clinic.  I did that and all results were normal.  I will not use the service again.

[Dark_Gable]

The self test kits work fine and are efficient as they are typically processed very quickly. The first time I used one I had an issue extracting the blood so my results came back incomplete. There was enough blood for the HIV test but not enough to do the Syphilis, Hep B and C tests.
The urine sample is easy to collect but the blood is a pain the ass as you make a finger prick and squeeze blood from the finger. At a clinic the blood would extracted via syringe by a professional, so no hardship. However, the times I've been to a clinic I was there for several hours due to waiting.

[m@rk]

So it may be easier to visit an nhs clinic. Assume its pretty discrete?

[daviemac]

There's loads of threads about it if you search, this one from February this year is hardly out of date.  - https://www.ukpunting.com/index.php?topic=239837.msg2452149#msg2452149   

[smiths]

I don't trust self test kits and wish to see a qualified GUM professional which I pay to do through the taxes I pay. Also one idea in my book behind these kits is if they become more and more popular more GUMs can be shut down thus saying money. I want GUMs open.

I never give my real name at a GUM, hacks and, leaks and data breaches have and could happen at any time.

[winkywanky]

So it may be easier to visit an nhs clinic. Assume its pretty discrete?

Discreet.

The level of discretion is pretty well down to who happens to be in the waiting room while you are there. If you see someone you know, then their/your 'cover' is blown.

Although I do seem to remember a few years ago when visiting my local GUM Clinic, after giving me a ticket with a number on upon my arrival, when it was time to go through to see the doctor they called out my surname  .

[winkywanky]

I don't trust self test kits and wish to see a qualified GUM professional which I pay to do through the taxes I pay. Also one idea in my book behind these kits is if they become more and more popular more GUMs can be shut down thus saying money. I want GUMs open.

*I never give my real name at a GUM, hacks and, leaks and data breaches have and could happen at any time.

*That's a good idea.

And yes, that rings true...if the authorities perceive that less people are visiting GUM Clinics then they are probably more liable to close down. I don't think the NHS would ever offer postal tests, they'd want to be sure of who the samples came from...even if that happened to not be a 'real person'   . Also, that the samples were taken correctly.

[Jonestown]

In at least one London NHS trust they wont give you an appointment at the GUM clinic unless you have actual symptoms, anyone just wanting a check up is passed onto the postal service that the trust has an agreement with.

[Cuntminion]

Self kits are great

The london nhs service is quick, discreet and easy to use bar the blood part

Anal swab was a treat too and opened doors as never had so much as a finger up the arse till then

[winkywanky]

In at least one London NHS trust they wont give you an appointment at the GUM clinic unless you have actual symptoms, anyone just wanting a check up is passed onto the postal service that the trust has an agreement with.

That's a bit fucking stupid, there are STIs that people can have without showing symptoms, but that can be passed on. For instance chlamydia. I'm surprised the Feminazis aren't all over this (they ought to be).

Interesting though, that the NHS apparently seems to be backing the postal route? Cost-cutting I guess.

[winkywanky]

Self kits are great

The london nhs service is quick, discreet and easy to use bar the blood part

*Anal swab was a treat too and opened doors as never had so much as a finger up the arse till then

Had no idea the NHS were doing this now.

*Did you get a 'friend' to help you?

[EnglishRebecca121]

Im thinking of getting myself checked (20 years if punting and no symptoms) but just thought i would.

did i read that right you have been punting 20 years but this is your 1st sti check as you had no symptoms??

[tynetunnel]

I had one done recently on the NHS, it all depends which county you’re in. There was a thread a couple of months back. As has been said the worst bit is the blood, as before I had enough out it clotted and stopped bleeding, so I had to stab a second finger.

The fingers took far longer to heal than the delivery of the “all clear” text, which was about 3 days after posting the samples to the lab.

[Strawberry]

I have used home kits both STI and for another health check a few years ago. I really struggle with the finger prick blood extraction, my blood instantly congeals no matter what I do. The home rapid HIV tests however work directly from the wound, these are excellent and give instant results.

Like Smiths I prefer attending in person for pretty much the same reasons, as well as the blood letting issue. Gives me chance to ask questions, this last time they took anal swabs on the basis some saliva can dribble round from reverse oral. I do tell them what I do, and have been given the Hep B vaccination on that basis. In the meantime I've bought the HPV vaccine privately because it's not available to my age group on the NHS but I fall within the beneficial age range.

[Strawberry]

I had one done recently on the NHS, it all depends which county you’re in. There was a thread a couple of months back. As has been said the worst bit is the blood, as before I had enough out it clotted and stopped bleeding, so I had to stab a second finger.

The fingers took far longer to heal than the delivery of the “all clear” text, which was about 3 days after posting the samples to the lab.

I tried all fingers, got fed up gave up. It was the same for a thyroid check some years ago, used all 4 lancets just managed enough for the test but not since.

[Jonestown]

Anal swab was a treat too and opened doors as never had so much as a finger up the arse till then

If you had a virgin arse who decided you needed an anal swab ?

[EnglishRebecca121]

at my most recent sti check i spoke to the nurse about the home kits telling her i gave up because i couldnt get enough blood .
she said over half come back through the system as incomplete becasuse of it so seems a bit of a no go for alot of people

[Strawberry]

at my most recent sti check i spoke to the nurse about the home kits telling her i gave up because i couldnt get enough blood .
she said over half come back through the system as incomplete becasuse of it so seems a bit of a no go for alot of people

Thank goodness someone else has the same experience, the private health check service I used for a thyroid check (who also offer STI screening) now insist customers attend an actual clinic to have the blood sample taken.

I'm wondering if this is a result of the same problem, having to resend kits then eventually call in for a nurse which was their previous procedure was probably wasting time and eating into profit.

[winkywanky]

Taking aspirin for a couple of days before drawing your own blood might help?

[Jonestown]

Taking aspirin for a couple of days before drawing your own blood might help?

+ soak you hand in water as hot as you can stand for a few minutes before taking the sample.

[winkywanky]

That would certainly open up the capillaries a bit. Wouldn't affect clotting but perhaps would provide a good initial flow?

[Strawberry]

+ soak you hand in water as hot as you can stand for a few minutes before taking the sample.

A hot shower or bath is a recommendation, tried a few things before giving up having used all the supplied lancets and fingers a bit of a mess.

[tynetunnel]

A hot shower or bath is a recommendation, tried a few things before giving up having used all the supplied lancets and fingers a bit of a mess.

I soaked my hand in hot water before taking bloods, massaged the relevant finger during the blood letting, and had sore fingers after for 2 whole weeks ffs!

[tantraman]

Has anyone had any experience of the sti kits you order and send off the tests via the post?

I've used External Link/Members Only ...

Just bumping this most worthy and useful post, as I've just tried it. Quite superb service!

Very discreet ... used fake name and email ... kit posted home under fake name (we get a lot of junk mail and wrongly delivered post, so are often doing "Return to Sender" ... which is fortunately my job!) ... easy finger-prick blood (for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B testing) and urine (for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea testing) collection ... posted back ... results alerted via email, and checked via SHL website (External Link/Members Only) ... brilliant!

[mradventures]

i went to a drop in clinic and got results 2 weeks later

added bonus is u get to talk to the staff and ask any questions or get checked for warts or whatever, but i would prefer appointment service as i was in there for a bloody long time waiting :/

[smiths]

i went to a drop in clinic and got results 2 weeks later

added bonus is u get to talk to the staff and ask any questions or get checked for warts or whatever, but i would prefer appointment service as i was in there for a bloody long time waiting :/

1 GUM I use scrapped appointments as so many people didn't show and worse didn't even have the courtesy of saying they weren't going to attend. So its first come first serve now.

[Cuntminion]

Had no idea the NHS were doing this now.

*Did you get a 'friend' to help you?

Did it all by myself

[Cuntminion]

If you had a virgin arse who decided you needed an anal swab ?

Whenever i go gum i have to portray a raving bummer to get throat swabs but say i am not bottom so never had anal swab

Home kits don't give you a choice of saying you choke trojan only so get throat and anal and thought why not may as well do it

It was nice

No regrets

[smiths]

Whenever i go gum i have to portray a raving bummer to get throat swabs but say i am not bottom so never had anal swab

Home kits don't give you a choice of saying you choke trojan only so get throat and anal and thought why not may as well do it

It was nice

No regrets

Yeah some don't want to do throat swabs, I say I have been in Africa punting with WGs, that ensures I get a throat swab.

[Cuntminion]

Yeah some don't want to do throat swabs, I say I have been in Africa punting with WGs, that ensures I get a throat swab.

I used to pay £40 a pop before to get private ones as i don't like lying but it's not the money it's the arseache of going two placces fir one test so now i just say i love cock
But it's for the greater good

[Jonestown]

Whenever i go gum i have to portray a raving bummer to get throat swabs but say i am not bottom so never had anal swab

Home kits don't give you a choice of saying you choke trojan only so get throat and anal and thought why not may as well do it

It was nice

No regrets

So when you filled in the questionnaire you said you had male partners ?

[Cuntminion]

So when you filled in the questionnaire you said you had male partners ?

Yeah

[Cupid Stuntz]

The self test kits work fine and are efficient as they are typically processed very quickly. The first time I used one I had an issue extracting the blood so my results came back incomplete. There was enough blood for the HIV test but not enough to do the Syphilis, Hep B and C tests.
The urine sample is easy to collect but the blood is a pain the ass as you make a finger prick and squeeze blood from the finger. At a clinic the blood would extracted via syringe by a professional, so no hardship. However, the times I've been to a clinic I was there for several hours due to waiting.

Gave up with the finger pricking device, complete waste of time. Used a scalpel from the dissecting kit instead, much better and filled the phial in no time.

[snaitram99]

i went to a drop in clinic and got results 2 weeks later

added bonus is u get to talk to the staff and ask any questions or get checked for warts or whatever, but i would prefer appointment service as i was in there for a bloody long time waiting :/

Prefer drop in as can go when able to get away. Feels like a long time waiting but I've always been out within two hours of turning up.

(and I get to watch Loose Women and/or Judge Rinder!  )

[tynetunnel]

Gave up with the finger pricking device, complete waste of time. Used a scalpel from the dissecting kit instead, much better and filled the phial in no time.

...and presumably the A&E doc was able to stitch the top of your finger back on okay? 

[scutty brown]

I know a group of support workers who work with students and street girls, and the view seems to be that test kits are fine for routine screening, but if you have symptoms or have reason to believe you're infected then get to the clinic immediately: the sooner treatment is started, the better

[Cuntminion]

I know a group of support workers who work with students and street girls, and the view seems to be that test kits are fine for routine screening, but if you have symptoms or have reason to believe you're infected then get to the clinic immediately: the sooner treatment is started, the better

+1

Never been symptomatic but had the " I've tested positive" text a few times

Fuck waiting for the postie

If you got symptons or had that text dean street express will test you as a walk in

[winkywanky]

Yes, Dean St. are excellent and fast with on-the-premises testing for nearly everything, with one or two tests being done elsewhere IIRC.

But sadly they are only in London.

[cotton]

Yeah some don't want to do throat swabs, I say I have been in Africa punting with WGs, that ensures I get a throat swab.

I went into nhs gum clinic recently and having read a thread on here about getting throat swabs i asked the doctor if i could have my throat tested aswell and she told me to open my mouth wide and go ahh and said i was fine no need of testing. I said i had sex with drug users so otherwise got what i wanted including hep b and c hiv etc.  They used to have a bowl of condoms you could help yourself to but not anymore.

[Jonestown]

Update:

They have now changed the questionnaire for heterosexuals to include  whether you are a sex worker, or whether you have sex with sex workers, if you answer yes you get anal and throat swabs in the kit.

[Anadin]

First time I got my home test I wasn't sure how I could ever extract enough blood to fill the sample tube. Watched a Youtube video and while its not always easy, if you get the right place I could probably fill 3 of them.

External Link/Members Only

[misterm]

The devil does seem to be in the detail for the blood sample. I tried once after quick skim over instructions, had to use all 3 lancets and couldn't get enough and took an age, they sent a new test kit and following video I got enough from 1 lancet in a few minutes.

The things I did differently the second time
- warmed hand
- dried hand after alco wipe
- massaged blood to tip before using lancet
- wiped first drop
- kept collection tube low and stayed standing

Certainly it seems much easier to do it in the clinic, only a few seconds discomfort there, and they get a good sample size. Shame the clincs round here arent great for timing for me

[dwaynepaine]

Couple of updates about using home kits.

I usually get mine from SH24 but they like a period of time between tests, suggested as 3 months.
I found this out after a recent broken condom with a civvie. I wanted a test but SH24 cancelled as the blood test from the previous test was only just over a month before. Don't think my saying I'd had unprotected sex would have got the test as I haven't had symptoms. So I've shelled out to try the Lloyds service - expensive but easier for me than trying to get to a GUM.

Previously when the blood test failed I was invited to go to a GUM for two vials of blood to be drawn - this time that wasn't mentioned but given the option to have a new test posted out.

Most importantly use a popular post box AND don't post back on a Thursday PM or Friday. I had three attempts at the blood test over the space of a month. First sample had coagulated for some reason, second had seperated - posted in a country post box on a Friday when it was collected but wasn't delivered until Wednesday. Final try was posted back Tuesday morning and results texted Thursday PM.