I Tested Positive for Syphilis
I (Gay, 26M) tested positive for syphilis.
This is the story.
I am a healthcare professional. I exhausted all possible precautions there are. HIV PrEP, HPV vaccine kahit vv expeneive, Hep B vaccine, doxy-PEP, which I stopped earlier this year. The only thing I wasn't consistent with was using condoms during some encounters. I got screened for STIs/STDs last January, and all of the results were non-reactive.
I went for a routine HIV test + free syphilis test. My HIV test came back non-reactive, but my syphilis test was reactive. When I tell you, I was shocked at first as someone who take precautions very seriously.
This year, I only had five sexual partners. One of them was on January 2, around 3 to 4 weeks before I got screened for STIs/STDs last January, so it's less likely to be related. That only leaves me with four sexual partners over the past 5 to 6 months.
I know all of them personally. Minsan, napag-uusapan din namin ang STIs/STDs and precautions, so I did not consider myself high risk. Because of that, I did not use doxy-PEP (though it does not provide 100% protection against other STDs) after each encounter. Iniisip ko kasi these people know how to protect themselves.
Nakakainis lang kasi the fact na inasa ko yung safety ng sexual health ko sa kanila, when in fact, MY SEXUAL HEALTH SHOULD BE AND WILL ALWAYS BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. Pero ewan ko ba. In five years of having casual sex, ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng STD.
So I tested positive on the screening test, then we proceeded with an RPR test. The result came back reactive with a 1:1 titer, which is very low. I talked to a doctor, and we were assuming it is a recent infection since my syphilis test was non-reactive during the last week of January. We also did a physical assessment, and no rashes or lesions were found.
I was prescribed one shot of penicillin and was advised not to engage in sexual activity for 1 to 2 weeks. I was also advised to continue using doxy-PEP for high risk encounters. I am scheduled to repeat my RPR test after three months. It was explained to me that there are two possible outcomes. My RPR may become non-reactive, or the titer may become higher if I get reinfected.
Magbabait na talaga.
I also reached out na rin sa apat na yon, two of them responded already, telling me that their recent Syphilis test was non-reactive but I still encourage them to get tested again. Still waiting sa reply ng dalawa.
At the end of the day, I am just glad that I got diagnosed and treated early. I had no symptoms at all, and if I had skipped my routine screening, I probably would not have known. This experience reminded me that routine STI screening is just as important as the other preventive measures we take.
Ayon, just a reminder to take care of your sexual health. Your sexual health will always be your responsibility. :)