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Is there any point testing if I have no symptoms?

No symptoms, no particular incident I am worried about, but I have had a few partners this year. Friend says routine testing is pointless without symptoms. That does not sound right but I cannot argue it properly.

grey_morning 3 weeks ago
NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

3 replies

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longwayround 3 weeks ago

Your friend has it backwards. A large share of these infections produce no symptoms at all, which is exactly why screening programmes exist. If symptoms were reliable there would be no need to screen anyone.

Half the threads on this forum start with someone who felt completely fine and tested positive on a routine screen.

half_moon 3 weeks ago

The practical framing that helped me: testing is not something you do because you suspect something. It is maintenance, like a dental check. New partner, or a period of time has passed, so you go.

almostfine 3 weeks ago

Ask the clinic how often makes sense for you rather than picking a number off the internet. It depends on how many partners, what kind of sex, and whether you are on PrEP, which comes with its own testing schedule anyway.

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