Ranger Posted December 22, 2001 Report Share Posted December 22, 2001 After reading on one of the boards about a do it yourself HIV test available in Bangkok, I decided it might be good to test myself. My last test was 2 years ago in the states (and several hundred girls ago). The test is called OraQuick and is available at Surawongse Medical clinic located behind Patpong 2 on Surawong Road. It comes in a box of 5 for 2000B, or you can buy 1 for 500B. I opted for the box of 5 and went home to test myself. It is a saliva based test, although you can also use blood. I swabbed the test strip in my mouth and waited the 20 minutes for the results. One line indicates negative and 2 lines indicate positive. My test strip had 1 very distinct line and one very faint line. I read the manual and it indicated that the second line may be much lighter than the first and this indicates HIV positive. Fuck me!!!! I am freaking out and decide to re-read the instructions and follow them to the letter this time (I have never been real big on reading instructions-just tear open the box and fake it has always been my MO). During the 20 minutes while I waited for the 2nd test result, I went to the toilet and barfed and the thoughts of my life being over flashed through my mind. I was quite relieved when the second test showed only one line and absolutely no presence of a second line. Still not convinced, I did the blood version of the test and it too came up negative. I felt slightly relieved, but decided I had better go get a real test done. The following morning (after a not so god nights sleep), I went to the anonomous clinic run by the Red Cross located near Silom and Rama IV (walking distance from Sala Daeng BTS station). You don't have to give your name, just fill out a questionaire and you are given a number. I didn't want to use a hospital, because I don't know what they would do if you came up positive. Report it to the authorities and deport you, I would imagine. After a brief interview with a female doctor that spoke excellent English, I was given the option of results in 3 days for 60B or results in 20 minutes for 200B. You can guess which option I chose! I told her about the OraQuick test and she said that it wasn't nearly as accurate as the blood test that they use. OraQuick claims 99.87% accuaracy rate in their brochure (if the test is administered correctly). A good quantity of blood was drawn and I went back to the waiting room for the longest 20 minutes of my life. My number was called and I went back to see the doctor and was quite relieved (the understatement of the century) to hear that I was negative. Looking back to the first false positive test from the OraQuick, the instructions indicated to swab the inner portion of each gum once and I probably swabbed back and forth 3 or 4 times. Why extra saliva would give a false positive, I don't know. I'm not sure if I would trust the OraQuick test again and think it wouldn't be a bad idea to get tested at the anonomous clinic every few months. A very relieved Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiedoug Posted December 23, 2001 Report Share Posted December 23, 2001 Given the unpleasant time you went through with getting a false positive from a cheap kit, you can surely agree that only a stupid uncaring bastard would subject a bar girl to such a test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 28, 2001 Report Share Posted December 28, 2001 I believe that one of the main reasons that HIV is has spead so far is that there is no quick cheap test that a person can perform without going to a clinic or taking blood. Condoms Break, I believe one study put the breakage percentage at 15%. The idea that if you use condoms you will be safe from HIV is IMHO silly. If the girls and punters can carry around these tests, I believe the benefits far outwieght the few hurt feelings some false positives will produce. Until there is a cheap quick test that can detect the virus instead of just the antibodies the HIV will contiue to spread at the current rate. If there was a bar that required all bar girls and punters to take an HIV test everytime they paid bar, it would get my 100% patronage. [ December 28, 2001: Message edited by: lonestar ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlton68 Posted December 29, 2001 Report Share Posted December 29, 2001 15% broken condoms? If you let the thai whores put it on your dick then it might be true. In my experience they all try to stretch it over the dick instead of rolling it. Even if you go with the same girl several times she doesn't learn how to do it. I had one condom break in my very early days with thai girls, guess who put it on. Now I do it myself (put the condoms on myself I say) and never had a problem ever since. Lonestar, condoms are the second safest way to prevent STD (after not fucking, but that's not an option). If I have one condom breaking out of - uups, forgot to count. If I have one condom break in 15 years I consider it very safe. But you are right. A quick test who sometimes gives false positive readings is better than nothing. What I want to know is if it also gives false negative readings. However cheap and quick this test might be, to slow down HIV it must be free of charge. There are people who don't have the money even to buy condoms. They won't buy a test kit. And then there are people who would not think of using condoms or getting tested. So you won't stop HIV ever until there is a vaccine, available for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2001 Report Share Posted December 29, 2001 quote: Originally posted by lonestar: Condoms Break, I believe one study put the breakage percentage at 15%. The idea that if you use condoms you will be safe from HIV is IMHO silly. If there was a bar that required all bar girls and punters to take an HIV test everytime they paid bar, it would get my 100% patronage. 15%!! That must have been poor-quality thai condoms - if they even make those lousy ones anymore. I have no idea how many condoms I've used, 1000+, but I've only had 2 break, and both were lubrication issues. I hope you haven't had 15% breakage!! The risk of catching HIV with a condom is so low that I can live with it. Just like I can live with the risk of riding motorbikes and being driven by thai drivers that drive like they're in the Indy 500. Actually this quick 500B testing thing before sleeping with a girl is an intersting idea, and I've asked for it on a few occasions where I'm spending more than a night with a working girl. Nobody has refused - in fact the ones I've asked had fairly recently gotten themselves to put their own minds at ease, or because their bar required it, or at the request of another customer, so they already knew what to expect. One working girl asked ME to get tested! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 30, 2001 Report Share Posted December 30, 2001 i haven't had any problems with oraquick- and i use it to test girls all the time- nobody has objected- in fact they are intrigued by the test- local doctors here know that it has a high reliability- i think better than many rapid test clinics- [ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: tanha ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2001 Report Share Posted December 31, 2001 Hey tanha, I'm curious what your hiv+ rate is that you've found. How many would you say you've tested and did you find any that the test registered as +? Thanks. quote: Originally posted by tanha: [QB]i haven't had any problems with oraquick- and i use it to test girls all the time- nobody has objected- in fact they are intrigued by the test- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2001 Report Share Posted December 31, 2001 over the past three years of testing all the girls i've been with more than once , i've had one positive- it cross-referenced positive with other testing- but i don't use street-walkers- usually just girls at high end clubs who have a reputation for regular testing- however i like to test myself- that way i know her status is current- some people think i overeact by testing all my potential partners but one of my first girls friends in thailand died of aids- also in the same year my regular foot massage girl and manicurist died of aids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2001 Report Share Posted December 31, 2001 quote: Originally posted by tanha: however i like to test myself- that way i know her status is current- Well... at least she doen't have antibodies yet! Still, does cut the odds way down. quote: some people think i overeact by testing all my potential partners but one of my first girls friends in thailand died of aids- also in the same year my regular foot massage girl and manicurist died of aids Yeah, I guess that will keep you careful. I know a few people who are HIV+, but I've never known anyone that has died of AIDS yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2002 Report Share Posted January 6, 2002 for more info on self-testing www.orasure.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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