I used to hobby quite a bit a few years ago, then stopped for a while and in the past year I picked up the habit again in California.

2 months ago I began seeing someone I believed to be a non-pro, then found out she was a pro.  I met her through Craig's List, and she was sweet as can be.  Stupidly, I had unprotected sex with her on 3 occasions - the first time I ever did that in my life (other than BBBJ).  I haven't had sex with her in 5 weeks, and have another sexual partner right now, though that is also casual.

In the past week, I started showing signs of gonorrhea.  I've never in my life had a STD, I had to Google the symptoms.  Sometimes before urination I see a tiny amount (barely a drop) of what seems to be whitish/watery mucous and a very slight burning sensation for up to an hour after I urinate.

Yes, I've learned my lesson and of course I want to get fully tested and treat the issue ASAP but I have no clue how to do so anonymously.  I have many questions, and I hope the sexual experiences of others here can help me reach the best understanding I can.

1. Is there any place in Los Angeles where I can get tested for STDs (including HIV) completely anonymously?  I would prefer my health coverage provider not have a record of this, if possible.  If I show positive for any STD, can I also get treated anonymously?

2. If I choose the non-anomymous route, will having had or treated for a curable STD affect my coverage at all, or my ability to get coverage elsewhere in the future?

3. Can any of this be done for free or will I have to cough up some cash for testing and what does the cost of treatment typically cost?  Can I pay cash and give a false name or do I have to show some form of Government-issued ID one way or another?  Will I be forced to provide evidence of insurance coverage?  Can I claim I don't have coverage?

Believe it or not, in 2009, the above information is not easy to come by.  There is lots of information online about statistics, symptons, treatments, etc, but I've yet to find a single place to get information dedicated to people who want to maintain as much privacy as possible in both testing & treatment of common STDs.

The answers to your question, TransientPrince are,

1. Yes, see link.

2. You'll have to check with your insurance company. Different companies, different policies. Not completely important, since 1. is affirmative.

3. AIM runs on donations. It's completely anonymous. They don't care if your name is given as Elmer Fudd or Benito Mussolini. Yes you can pay cash. Forget about insurance coverage, they subsist on donations.

My comment to all this: LIVE AND LEARN. And please, donate to AIM. Don't use their services for free - that's not nice. Give what you can spare, and then some. And of course, I sure hope you've been using total protection with your "casual partner."

Ho hum, ho hum,
The Love Goddess

I have nothing against paying, I just want to make sure places will take cash and not force me to go through my insurance or require a valid ID.

I had looked at AIM before but on their web site where one pre-registers for an appointment, the forms claim they need: "Identification (a government-issued ID is required)".  Also, their tests aren't free - it doesn't appear to be the case.  Their standard panel of tests, for example, appears to be $165.  Their  comprehensive panel is $300.  Is that just a suggested pricing?

So it's confusing from the standpoint of someone trying to get info online - can I call them for an appointment, give them a false name, not give them any identification, pay cash, and get my results anonymously whether the test is positive or negative?  Also, if I do have an STD, can I get treated somewhere off-the-record?  AIM?  Somewhere else?

As for my current partner, I'm going to avoid anything even remotely risky until this is cleared up, though I'm not sure how to break into the topic without freaking her out, but I should make sure she's tested too... I can't be sure she's not playing with others or maybe I even got it from her and I could end up with the same thing again even playing it safe.

I was going to ask something similiar.  I had an appointment the other day and then later in the day I noticed a spot of blood on my underwear.  Upon a closer exam of my sac, I found a small cut that I must have gotten when manscaping the night before and agrivated during the session or afterwards while scratching or whatever.  While it wasn't bleeding, as far as I know, durring the session, and we used proper protection for FS, I did partake in BBbj where some licking of the area went on.  I'm not normally very paranoid about STD as I play it pretty safe, but in this case I was hoping to go out and get tested.  Do you know of any services like this in IL and how paranoid should I be in the meantime?  Obviously as the date was only a few days ago I don't have any symptoms or issues, but an open cut is an open cut and that makes me worried.

Dear NeedAnAlias4This,

If you are worried, then please visit the nearest emergency clinic or make an appointment with a urologist. You need to understand one thing - physicians have to treat patients under confidentiality. If you don't want something in your insurance records, TELL THE DOCTOR. Ask to view his/her records before s/he leaves the room.

As for anonymous testing, check the link and then make the call. There are anonymous testing facilities and you will be informed about them after you speak to someone.

Hope that works,
The Love Goddess

I have used tstd.org and requestatest.com and both were perfectly anonymous and operate through Lab Corp or Quest labs all over the country.  

You give an anonymous name in the online applicaton, they send you a test number and you go to a lab near you.  They email you when results are in and you call in for the results.

Thanks.  I'm not generally that worried, and as my SO and I don't generally have relations often, I can limit contact until tested...It can be my turn to say 'not tonight'.  I know things can take a while to show up on tests, how long is a good amount to wait so I can know the test would catch 'it' if I had 'it'.  Again, I have no real belief that the provider had a problem, and do not belive that the cut was open or in contact with an infected area...I just want to line up my options to give myself some extra piece of mind, but I also don't want to run in today and throw $500 at tests then find that it takes 10 days for something to show up in the bloodstream, then take them again.

I seem to recall in days past that if you went for an STD test and it was positive, the doctor would contact you and try to get you to list your sexual contacts, whom they would then contact. Don't know if contact was by phone or snailmail.

Is that no longer the case?

And I agree with the OP - none of these locations (AIM, free clinic, whatever) make it easy for you to not provide your true identity. They will ask your name, they will ask for ID. After all, they are performing a medical procedure - what if you become ill during the exam? It seems in this litigious society that an organization would be very exposed to lawsuits, if they performed a medical procedure on someone and didn't even know their name.

I asked if they offered anonymous testing.  The receptionist said "No, but we offer confidential testing."  I then asked if she knew anywhere in Los Angeles to do anonymous testing and she said that she didn't.

Confidential testing it NOT the same as anonymous testing.  With confidential testing, they take your real name and information and, although your testing is kept private, IF you ARE positive for any STD then that information is passed along to the government AND the information can be accessible to insurance companies.  Anonymous testing, on the other hand, means you don't even have to give a name, you get a number, and your tests results are ONLY known by you (and even in that scenario I'm not certain how to get anonymous treatment).

So, again, I'm back to square one.  Where can I, assuredly, get ACTUAL anonymous testing and ACTUAL anonymous treatment (if a test result is positive).  I read on the web site of one place that they offered anonymous testing and walk-ins but when I walked int he door and asked, I was told I have to first talk to my doctor (and, hence, my insurance company).  I asked the receptionist there how that is anonymous and she gave me a sheet of paper with places to call.  So I called some of those places and none offered anonymous testing.

And there is a wonder why a lot of people who may have STDs don't get regularly tested... THIS is the reason why.  It's not like having a cold or the flu.  There's a stigma to this and none of us who may want to test ourselves want to open up our private affairs to the government or insurance providers.

That's all fine and good if your results are negative.  What if your results are positive?  Where would you get treatment anonymously?

I was told that they do "confidential" testing and when I asked what that means to them they said "private".  I said I read a lot of places online that stated confidential vs anonymous means that results aren't totally private.  They said if any results show positive, they would report the information to the CDC, so then I asked if such records would then be accessible to insurance providers and they CLAIMED "no", and that even I wouldn't have access to the test results without coming in.  Still, I would need a valid ID to get tested, and I don't trust this.

Here's the deal, TransientPrince,

You don't have to tell them that you have medical insurance. The law states that it's illegal to impersonate someone else, but you can call yourself Elmer Fudd and no one can do anything about it. As to government issued ID - what happens if you tell them you lost your driver's license?

In any event, you can always go to the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center on Schrader Blvd in Hollywood. I've worked there myself as an intern, so I know the drill. And no, you don't have to be gay or lesbian to get tested. AND, it's ANONYMOUS if you wish.

See link,
The Love Goddess

Thank you, that's what I was looking for.  Seems this sort of thing should be a lot easier to find.

As a healthcare worker There are plenty of clinics in Chicago on the southside, all you have to do is fill out a little paper, they don't ask for ID, or insurance, and you can get tested and treated, it's only $15, PM me for more info if you need

Hope that helps

Hey guys: The system is the system. Its what we have. Confidential is just that.  If you know how a disease is treated and you can get a prescription from a doctor friend with out being tested, go for it.
If you have seen the movie I referenced in the subject area, you now how far we have come.  If you have an SO you want to protect from knowing your activity, like me, you will get tested regardless..

They are totally anonymous regardless of result... they never have any info on you at all other than the fake name and fake date of birth you give them and your email address which you can set up just for the purpose of testing.

If positive, they do counsel you.

tstd.org and requestatest are truly anonymous-- they never have any real name on you.  

Quit the drama, read all your replies and pick up the phone.

AIM Rocks! So does the staff there, well even the gay nurse that hit on me. I cannot agree more with TLG in that if you use their services then donate. I pay for my services and have donated in cash. The gals that work there are very cool and they know the drill. And you can make a game of your visit by seeing which porn star you meet in the waiting area. They make the experince painless and simple. Just keep track of the info you do provide for return visits. I go every month.

Dude,

I read this and your post about planned parenthood. Well I started using PP when I was a teen and AIM in my mid 20's. TLG cannot spell it out for you but you need to read between the lines....read between the lines. For example my real name is Homer J Simpson...when the simpsons came out I was harrsed and teased as a teen for this. When I go to AIM I provide my real name and street address of Springfield Ave in the city of Los Angeles. I give them my real phone number of 310-867-5309 (My ex girlfriend's name was Jenny.) to insure they know its me I showed them my business card (vistaprints.com) with this information. I paid in cash my fee as a non-adult industry worker. When I call in for my results they ask for me to confirm this information. I do..since its real info. And I get my results. Works the same at PP. READ BETWEEN THE F'ING LINES.

It's not like I wasn't looking to get tested, it's just that everyone keeps throwing the word "anonymous" around yet when it comes down to it the actual anonymity wasn't experienced.

For example, I went to the Gay & Lesbian clinic that TLG referred, and when they gave me the forms to fill out they asked me for a picture ID.  I just decided WTF and went ahead anyway and I ended up getting treatment for gonorrhea & chlamydia, though I was told it could also possibly be just a urinary tract infection.  I'll get complete results for everything in 2 weeks.

The "anonymous" aspect ONLY comes in the form of "your info is only kept on record here" but the forms they have you sign are worded in such a way as to pretty much open your records up in MANY cases, even beyond just government queries.

I suppose I could have just claimed to have lost my license, but it was implied to me that they wouldn't provide service without a picture ID, do let's all be clear here - it is NOT a simple thing for anyone to find truly anonymous testing AND treatment.

Let's say I went through tstd.org and the result is that I was positive for something.  OK, so how would I get anonymous treatment?

I know to SOME of you I'm sounding like a broken record, but it's a bigger issue that it seems, and it's NOT the easiest thing for people to find the kind of info needed, and it doesn't help when people bandy the "anonymous" word around when it's not what it seems.

- There is a way to get anonymous HIV testing, but treatment is a WHOLE other issue.  In that case, a positive result really should be taken VERY seriously and anonymity is not as important, but certainly someone should have the opportunity to at least TEST anonymously first to be able to control the flow of information in case they need to make the decision to go through insurance for care.

- For all other STDs, it's not so easy to get BOTH truly anonymous testing AND treatment.  What's offered, instead, is what is referred to as "confidential" testing - your REAL info is taken down and if you show positive then your records MAY become accessible (not just to the CDC but other sources under certain conditions).

I understand that people can give the name "Elmer Fudd" but every place I physically walked into and requested anonymous testing didn't acknowledge the ability to do that AT ALL.  Of the places that DO offer true anonymous testing (like tstd.org), it's unclear what would happen if a test result came back positive - where would one then get TREATED anonymously?  You can't just walk in somewhere and say "My dick is dripping and it burns when I pee, give me some meds." without someone wanting your real info.

Or should I be practicing the "I lost my driver's license" routine for future testing/treatment?

Next time I go for testing somewhere, I'll try to dodge providing a picture ID and report back my results.

I've always been safe and usually done full testing at my doctor's office during regular checkups, but recently (especially from my recent stupid behavior) I've decided that anonymous testing is preferred, just in case I show positive for anything.  So, forgive my naiveté, it's just that it doesn't seem like something to have to "read between the lines" for.

In reading up on options online, I was lead to believe there is "anonymous" and "confidential" testing options, but when it came down to actually FINDING a place to do truly anonymous testing, it's not made clear that someone would have the "play games" to ACTUALLY test or get treated anonymously.  I had no idea I was supposed to "read between the lines", I just presumed things were as stated, that seeking for anonymous testing/treatment would simply be understood & provided.  The fact one has to play games with identity is clear now, it's just not what is implied with all the information that can be found online.

Contact californiastd.com.  They are the best in LA. eom

I think Transient is correct, and I appreciate the effort he put into researching this.

I think we all just assumed that we could go to some magical "free clinic" where they would diagnose and take care of an STD, without having to reveal any sensitive information. I think we have learned that this option does not really exist. Clinics WILL ask for name, insurance info, and picture ID, and probably will not test or treat you if you don't give the information.

Only the tstd.org place seems to provide true anonymous testing.

There appears to be NO anonymous treatment. Which makes sense - no doctor is going to give you a shot or prescribe medication if he doesn't know who you are. It's not gonna happen.

If you get an STD, you will have to provide some info, and it's not clear just how confidential that info is. Can you expect a call or letter from the state board of health, asking you to reveal your sexual contacts, for example? For sure, if you provide the insurance info, you can expect a summary of your treatment in the mail.

If you ever want to run for office, I suggest you NOT catch an STD!

STD clinics run into patients that don't have insurance all the time. I worked as an intern at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and I know from experience that this is the case. Of course people can ask, but there is NO LAW that says you must give insurance information to anyone, particularly if you are willing to pay for services out of your own pocket.

As for anonymous TREATMENT, no there isn't any formally described, but again - if you've lost your ID, if you have no insurance, people won't turn you down, as long as you can pay. In fact, you do NOT need to inform a practitioner that you have insurance - simply leave that part blank on the intake form. That's why every intake form has space for signatures guaranteeing payment. Personally, I do have medical insurance but I often prefer using service providers where having or not having insurance doesn't matter (ok, Botox, busted, LOL). Hence, I never indicate on the form that I have insurance and it's never a problem.

I live in the state of California and I have NEVER heard of someone getting a letter from "the state board of health" when it comes to testing positive. Now, statistics are submitted annually to the CDC, but please believe me when I say that no names are attached - if not for privacy reasons, it would just be too unwieldy. I can't answer for other states, but in California, state agencies don't send you a letter if you test positive for gonorrhea.

Check with the CDC to verify what goes on in your area,
The Love Goddess

Goddess, I did a little bit of internet searching. Below is a description of what happens in Florida if you test positive for an STD. An entirely different team is notified and mobilized to "manage" your case. To get your test results, you have to provide some kind of contact info. Test positive, and you can be sure that these "Prism" people will be contacting you:

"In January 2007, the Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease released a new web-based application called PRISM (Patient Reporting, Investigation and Surveillance Manager). PRISM has been designed to receive electronic lab results from the public labs of the state of Florida. This will decrease the time frame in which an infection is brought to our attention. Once the application receives the lab results, the local STD program will be notified via a task list that a new record has arrived. The STD program supervisor will then determine whether the patient is a priority case, such as a pregnant female, a minor under twelve years of age or someone who has been seen with multiple instances of infection, and then assign it to an STD Epidemiologist (aka Disease Intervention Specialist). This will be a time savings of at least a week compared to the old application, STD-MIS, and provides enhanced patient management tools help the Bureau of STD better serve Floridians."

I know California may not be the same, but most states are not as forgiving as Cali.

By the way, if you're tired of talking about this, I understand. I just find it fascinating the difference between what we think is possible, and reality. We think we can easily get tested and treated without impact, whereas reality depends on where you live.

All this information is in the shadows.  This is mainly what I was trying to resolve.  Here's what the general population perceives:

- "You should get tested regularly"
- Searching around, anonymous testing seems available.
- Whoops, it's not really anonymous, you have to "know your way around" otherwise your results will end up where you might not want them to.
- One finds their way around but then, whoops, treatment appears to risk further privacy issues, and one must know yet another way to get around the system.

The government and medical field wonder why so many people go untested & untreated.  There's probably more practical information in this one small discussion here than the info that can be found searching online all day.

I got a clean bill on my results.  Turns out what I probably had was a minor urinary tract infection.

When I went back in for my results, because I did full range of tests (not just HIV), I was asked again for a picture ID.