TeenHealthFX - Answers - No Clue If He Passed Something Onto Me

Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Question
Published: December 21, 2007

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I have a really screwed up life, but I try as hard as I can to keep myself sane. I had gay intercourse with a friend for multiple years, I guess we did it just for pleasure, and as we grew older we realised we weren't gay, and so we moved on and voweled to complely forget that happened. Now, I am in a relationship with a girl, and as things progress to a more serious level, I fear for her safety during intercourse due to the fact that I have no clue whether or not he hasd something he may have passed to me. However, I am only 14 now and parents do not know any of this and I do not plan for them to find out as well. I have felt guilt and trepidation during the many years I have had to deal with these thoughts, never knowing whether or not I am infected or not. To get to the point, how may I go about getting checked for STIs without my parents knowing anything about it. I live in Pittsburgh and do not know where to go. Obviously, I do not know how to drive and therefore poses an even greater problem. Please, I beg of you to help me out. This guilt and shame is going to be the death of me. Thank you for your time.

Signed: No Clue If He Passed Something Onto Me

Dear No Clue If He Passed Something Onto Me,

Living with those fears and anxiety must be extraordinarily difficult for you. It sounds like you have come to the resolution that you really need to take action and find out the truth. You owe it to yourself and your girlfriend.

Right now your biggest fear is the unknown. With missing information the mind can fill in the blanks with all sorts of negative images and worst case scenarios. Getting tested will let you know what you are dealing with and if any course of action is necessary. Right now you are in limbo and that is an awful place to be.

Since you live in a major city like Pittsburgh, finding a testing site should be fairly easy. You can try a local Teen Health Center or Planned Parenthood. On the Planned Parenthood’s homepage you can find the closest TeenHealth Center by typing in your city and zip code. You can also get the same information by calling them on there toll free number, 1-800-230-Plan. Once you find a location you can then make a plan on how to get there. Health professionals can provide testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases/infections without parental consent.

TeenHealthFX worries that you are trying to deal with this all on your own. You make it clear that you do not want your parents to know but how about a counselor at school or another responsible adult that you trust. You’ll find that most people will want to help you and not sit in judgment of behaviors that happened at a young age.

Signed: TeenHealthFX