Get tested every three months
Make it a habit to get tested for STIs every three months. Also, get tested sooner if you have STI-related symptoms or have been notified by sexual partners. The earlier you detect and treat STIs, the better for your health.
Why get tested
Sex on chems increases the chance of contracting HIV, hepatitis C or another STI. There are several reasons for this.
STIs like HIV, hepatitis C, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, LGV, and syphilis are more common in “chems-friendly” people. The main reason is that sex on chems is more frequently unprotected. Having sexual partners who use chems increases the risk of contracting an STI.
Uppers like Tina, speed, 3-MMC and crack dry out the mucous membranes in the throat, penis and anus. As a result, you are more likely to suffer tiny wounds, tears and bleeding. This is the case with:
- Prolonged and hard fucking (especially if insufficient lubricant is used)
- Gangbanging (being fucked by multiple sex partners)
- Fisting
- Anal play (playing with toys)
- Face fucking and throat pumping
Using poppers increases blood flow to the mucous membrane in your anus. This allows STIs to enter your body more easily. Booty bumping also increases the risk of STIs. Chems affect the mucous membranes in your anus, making you more vulnerable to contracting an STI. Slamming is particularly prone to accidents. Something can always go wrong, no matter how carefully you inject. An STI check can determine whether you have contracted HIV, hepatitis B or C.
Err on the side of caution: get tested every three months.
What to get tested for?
Do not only take an HIV test. Get tested for all STIs. In addition, get tested for hepatitis C every three months. Even if you are HIV-negative, still take a hepatitis C test.
Where to get tested?
There are several options if you want to test for STIs every three months.
General practitioner
The GP consultation fees come out of your health insurance co-payment. This is not a problem for some people, who may have already maxed their co-payment on other medical treatments.
If you are HIV-positive, you have probably already maxed your co-payment on treatment for your HIV infection. In that case, getting tested through your GP will not cost anything.
STI clinic
STI nurses can offer better advice on testing if you are open about your chems use. It can be a safe environment to discuss chemsex. STI nurses usually ask about drug use during sex and will generally not be quick to judge.
If you have issues with chems use, remember that most nurses are there for you and can offer a listening ear. They are often familiar with chemsex and slamming.
Testlab (online)
Testing through Testlab is free and easy to arrange online when it suits you. Print out the application form and take it to a nearby laboratory. You do not have to visit your GP or an STI clinic. Testlab cannot help with STI symptoms or partner notification. You will be referred to an STI clinic for that.
Testlab offers routine checks only and is not available everywhere in the Netherlands. Click here for an overview of the public health service centres affiliated with Testlab.
What to get tested for
Do not only take an HIV test. Get tested for all STIs. In addition, get tested for hepatitis C every three months. Even if you are HIV-negative, still take a hepatitis C test.
Click here for more information on testing for hepatitis C.
Which test to take
It is important to know that there are different tests for HIV and hepatitis C. Some tests can detect the viruses quicker, even if you were only recently infected.
Standard HIV test
The standard HIV test can detect HIV as early as three weeks after infection and is routinely used by STI clinics and GPs. The test measures whether your body has produced antibodies against HIV. It also checks for the protein P24 (characteristic of the virus) in your blood.
HIV RNA test
The HIV RNA test can detect HIV infection at an earlier stage. The test measures whether your blood contains the RNA (virus particles) of HIV. RNA is detectable from about a week after exposure to the virus, although it can sometimes take several weeks. This is an expensive test. A doctor will only run this test if there is a high likelihood that you have contracted HIV.
If you are HIV-negative and develop flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with the comedown from chems, or if you have recently had unprotected sex, visit this website for more information.
HIV rapid test
The HIV rapid test gives a result within 20 minutes. However, this test also has a major drawback. Older generation rapid tests, in particular, can miss a recent infection. The rapid test is unsuitable if you never or rarely use condoms and are regularly at risk of contracting HIV. In that case, you are recommended to take the standard HIV test. The standard HIV test can sometimes detect HIV three weeks after infection.