Anyone care to share their experiences at DSC?

[Big Sexy]

Sorry to pour cold water on you..

1. When was the last time u did it???? there is a 6 months window period from the last time you had sex.

2. you can get HIV anytime within the 6 month window period.

3. The test is to test for the presence of ANTI-bodies, NOT HIV.... if antibodies is present then they will check for HIV.

4. Go read my HIV Thread. Copy and paste the link from my Signature.

Originally Posted by catlover

Thanks Safe, AsianCigar and others for replying to the new I felt as if a 3 tonner rolled over me. She smiled and told me that if I wanna be sure can come back to do again but she say no need cause test is 100% accurate. I said we'll see. Left the place fast. Lighted a ciggy...it never tasted so good.

[weightlessjump]

Thanks Bro! That was very very informative. The great thing about going to DSC is that you can get your results on the spot, and so you don’t have to go through an agonizing number of days waiting for the results. I don’t quite appreciate the first counselor bit though – personally, I think it is a bit of a waste of time, although I suppose in a way, it’s kinda necessary for hardcore raw addicts. Incidentally, anybody know of any private doctors who offer on-the-spot HIV testing? If DSC has the test kit, I’m sure that any private doctor can also use the same test kit. For me, I do my testing with a private doctor near my place. I go during hours when the clinic is usually empty, and because he knows my case already, there is no further probing and he just carries out the blood test, so the time that I come in and out of the clinic takes only about half an hour. The private doctor sends the blood sample to a test lab, and I go back in three days time to pick up the test results from the staff at the counter. The damage is about $50 each time ($20 consultation, $30 for HIV and syphilis testing). It’s, of course, a bit higher than the price at DSC, but if I take a cab down from my place, it’s more or less on par.

Originally Posted by perrymason32

Same as on Saturday afternoons.

Go in; pay $20, fill out form (anonymous form, questions about you, your sexual exposure and survey questions) and give it to the counter person who will give you receipt with sticker of corresponding number to the number of your form. Sit and wait for a counselor to pick up your form and call out the number. Follow counselor into room. Explain your exposure. Counselor will evaluate your risk and tell you and go through the drill about proper condom use etc. Then you go out of the room. Counselor will then take your form and drop it into the postbox opening of the door at the end of the office. Wait for another counselor (the one on duty to do the testing) to call your number, go into room. After you get alcohol swabbing your finger, the fresh catheter is freshly opened up in front of you, your receipt and the strip are matched for numbers (so no mix up in who's test is whose), then your finger is pricked, your blood drips onto the rapid test strip, you are given cotton swab to stop your bleeding. Stop bleeding, then go out and wait.

Wait in front of the first counselor you saw. You will be called when the first counselor gets your results. Sometimes very fast, sometimes takes a while--anywhere from 12 to 30/40 minutes--depending on the counselor and how many people are getting tested. When the first counselor calls you in, then tells you the result. Maybe a reminder on the proper use of condom in future, and ask you to come again after 6 months from your last exposure date, or chase you out (because your risk is low) and ask you to come again after 6 months from your last exposure date.

Counselors are different, and have an impact on your talking/counselling time, waiting time etc. Usually, the lao jiaos are faster or simply better because they can read you and your situation more efficiently, and the new ones take more time and a little more preachy etc. But they're all good.

If your business trip is in Bangkok, can also do a rapid test over there at an anonymous clinic setup by the Red Cross.

Hope that helps.

--perry

[catlover]

Thanks Perrymason32 for replying to weightlessjump question. Was quite busy lately. Anyway got to relate to you guys my experience doing HIV test in polyclinics in 2000. hahah...fucked up experience..those people there really no experience in terms of counselling. I met one Ahlian nurse who "counselled' me..hahah she better off giving me a BJ. Her questions is like "u been naughty is it? see la now come here do test." KNN!!!...after that go some place to take blood. nabeh...whole syringe of it...the nurse who take my blood oso gimme attitude..one cheebyee nurse say to me " see la go oversea right play play...we see lots of cases like you"..KNNBCCB!!! treatment fucked up all the way. Got my results a week later. Doc who gave the results to me say" see la...your life quite sinful..better go for religious classess"..I thouhgt WAT THE FUCK!?!?!..hahahahah...anyway it was negative...after that go chiong. Fuck the polyclinics...DSC better..much more trained and polite.

[catlover]

big sexy..cold water feels nice. haha..anyway. last exposure was in january. did test this month. doc say test can detect HIV not just antibodies. dun make pp kanchiong liao can or not?.

[weightlessjump]

Thanks Catlover for sharing your experience with polyclinics. After that sharing, I don't think I want to see a doctor at the polyclinc either. They sound really unprofessional. If i get lung cancer from smoking, I wonder if I would get a lecture from the polyclinic: "See lah, smoke too much" So why should they lecture ppl with STD?

[catlover]

Dunno whether they have improved their counselling stuff. So their attitude might have changed weightlessjump. Anyway, it takes abt a week for results to be processed in polyclinics. Long wait man and when u go get the results you have to wait in line like the other patients. waste time.

[catlover]

Bro Big sexy, that was a very informative piece of infomation u posted on the thread. Anyway The DSC doctors told me that I am suitable for the test as I fit into the "window period" category. They told me they can detect antigen a month after exposure. so...I think the test was accurate. Furthermore, they categorised me into the low risk category. I attack always with helmet on.The main worry I had at that point of time was the fact that I had raw BJ's before but the docs told me that Its very low risk indeed. Thanks for the cold water but it took a lot of guts for me to go for the test...dun wanna go thru such a "inner battles" anymore. I started the thread because I think lots of bros wanna share their experiences and especially their fears...but i think the main aim here ..at least in this forum is to assuage those fears..and not to inflame them to a new degree. Thnaks Bro Big sexy for the "cold water" but you could have been more diplomatic la..

Bro catlover, I believe u r trully safe from anything nasty. just wanted to point out besides FLs, i believe many of us also have dangerous liaisons with normal gals. ie ONS, sex partners etc. The common misconception is sex workers are high risk HIV carriers, but most forget that having multiple regular sex partners could be just as bad... Thats my biggest worry.

[catlover]

Bro weisiaobao,
Thanks for your confidence dude. Really counts a lot. So you waiting to go DSC?.

Yup, been too busy at work.... or a subconscience effort avoid. sigh....

[Big Sexy]

Cat lover

huh.......i being my sentence with "Sorry" to pour cold water.... Not diplomatic enough?????? i was really trying to help and is glad that you are under the low risk category. No offence meant.

Originally Posted by catlover

Bro Big sexy, that was a very informative piece of infomation u posted on the thread. Anyway The DSC doctors told me that I am suitable for the test as I fit into the "window period" category. They told me they can detect antigen a month after exposure. so...I think the test was accurate. Furthermore, they categorised me into the low risk category. I attack always with helmet on.The main worry I had at that point of time was the fact that I had raw BJ's before but the docs told me that Its very low risk indeed. Thanks for the cold water but it took a lot of guts for me to go for the test...dun wanna go thru such a "inner battles" anymore. I started the thread because I think lots of bros wanna share their experiences and especially their fears...but i think the main aim here ..at least in this forum is to assuage those fears..and not to inflame them to a new degree. Thnaks Bro Big sexy for the "cold water" but you could have been more diplomatic la..

[catlover]

No offence taken Bro Big Sexy (salutes)

[perrymason32]

hi bro catlover:

Technically, bro bigsexy is correct. The antibody test determines the presence of HIV by looking for specific antibody in your blood—that's how it works.

As such, in the infected party it has to wait for seroconversion—which is when the body is adjusting and starts to produce this specific antibody—to occur first, before it shows up on the test.

Yes, the ELISA 3rd Generation test kit can detect from as early as 1 month. But that doesn't mean that everyone of the infected will seroconvert and produce the specific antibody within that one month period. As far as I've read up on so far, most of the unfortunate infected ones seroconvert within 45 days, then by 3 months 99% will have seroconverted, and the remaining 1% by 6 months.

These figures are not 100% accurate of course, but something to go by. That's why bro bigsexy mentioned the 6 month window period—to be on the safest side possible.

As for the doc, I am sure his attitude to your case has much to do with your risk factor. Which is what counsellors also base their evaluations on. Nothing to lose sleep over, bro. But for added peace of mind, go for another test after 6 months lah—that may be KS of me, but that's exactly what I'm gonna do. (I am about 4 months plus...and waiting till the 6 month clearance thing).

—perry

Originally Posted by catlover

big sexy..cold water feels nice. haha..anyway. last exposure was in january. did test this month. doc say test can detect HIV not just antibodies. dun make pp kanchiong liao can or not?.

[catlover]

yeah..6mths thing sounds good..I wanted to do that and even asked the counsellor abt doing the second test to my suprise she said that my risk assessment is pretty low and that I dont even have to do a second test ..thats wat she says anyway but thanks for the advice...will think about it

hi guys,

Newbie here..

May i koe what's DSC and where issit located.

Experinced some itchiness and pain lately after my business trip...

Thanxs for the help.