So as part of an extra-credit assignment I went to a Planned Parenthood office in one of the edge cities just north of Seattle and got an STI screening. Ok, technically I don’t get credit for the STI check, I get credit for the two-page paper I’m going to write about the experience.
I’ve got to wait 7-10 days for the results but I just have to say a few things about my experience so far:
- At least for men things have really changed in the last 30 years: I sat on an exam table, I asked and answered questions, I peed in a cup, they drew blood, I paid and left, if they find anything they’ll call me, otherwise not although I’m welcome to call them to confirm everything came back negative. And unlike 30 years ago there’s no nearly-lube-free prostate squeeze, the last drop of which is smeared onto a microscope slide screeners used to perform. Instead they just said “catch the beginning of the flow” while collecting the urine sample. For men, at least, everything they can realistically test for can be detected either in the urine sample or the blood sample.
- Insurance will evidently often pay for it if you’ve got insurance. And if you don’t have insurance Planned Parenthood and other similar service providers generally offer their services on a sliding-scale fee basis.
- All the people I met are genuinely nice, caring, compassionate people. Whatever impression one might get from the media they’re nicer than that. Even the media that says they’re nice. The young man who checked me in, and totally helped me work around a blown appointment time? Great. The lab tech who set me up, gave me a cup to pee in, weighed me, and took my blood pressure? Kind, professional, and totally reassuring. The nurse practitioner who actually did the exam was great too. She reviewed my history, talked me through the options, informed me about what’s changed in the 25 years since my last dedicated STI check (!!!), got me up to date, and helped me select the tests that would be meaningful, informative, and potentially diagnostic… and then yakked with me for a few minutes after drawing my blood to tell me about the NuvaRing contraceptive ring and told me that for some reason that’s the one hormonal contraceptive most people come back saying they don’t just like but love. (Your mileage may vary, neither she nor I have a financial or career-advancing interest in that or any other form of contraception, etc.)
And finally, I was also really impressed with the basic policies relating to privacy, dignity, health and social risk, and mental well being. Now I happen to know they’re neither the only nor necessarily the very best, the very best organized, or even nicest people offering reproductive-health services in the greater Puget Sound area. But as a selected representative provider they’re darn good and I gotta say
Submitted by 1978 (not verified) on Fri, 2008-02-29 07:49.
I'm not surprised. I used to go to them when I was younger and they were always so kind. I gotta say, I'd rather have a pap test from someone there then my (male) family practice doctor. Come to think of it, after having two babies you would think that having a pap test would be no big deal but I still dread it, but I did not mind quite as much back when I was going to Planned Parenthood.
Submitted by 1978 (not verified) on Fri, 2008-02-29 10:00.
I use the nuvaring. It rocks.
I didn't understand the ring shape at first, but after having used it for over a year - the ring shape helps it glide into you (after you feed a bit of it in, the rest just kind wants to follow), and the tension of the ring trying to assert its own form helps it stay in.
And maybe this is my opportunity to talk about those injectable forms of hormonal birth control you've mentioned in past posts -- specifically depo provera. I used it for several years. I thought it was great -- one shot every three months, and no worries. Okay, a little bit of worry -- I didn't get my period the whole time I was on it, and I had a suspicion that I was storing more and more excess hormone in my system the longer I was on it. Then my doctor realized how long I'd been on it and nipped the whole thing in the bud. Apparently there's a greatly increased risk of bone density issues if you take it for more than a couple of years ... ah:
http://www.birth-control-comparison.info/bcdepo.htm
"tudies released in 2004 show that Depo Provera is associated with a loss of bone density resulting in an increased risk of osteoporosis. The bone loss appears not to be reversed when the woman goes off Depo Provera. Depo is not recommended for long term use and especially not recommended when the young woman is still growing her bones. Women on Depo are advised to exercise and take in plenty of calcium. If you have taken Depo Provera for more than two years, you might want to get a bone density test. (see article on Building Healthy Bones and factsheet on calcium-containing foods )"
I took it for probably five or six years ... I crossed from one doctor to another in that time, which is probably why they didn't notice sooner.
So then I tried going back to the pill, and found that both the varieties I tried upset my stomach.
And then a friend mentioned the nuvaring, and I tried it, and sure enough -- it's awesome.
I'm still not really comfortable with adding hormones to my body (despite the fact I've been doing so almost non-stop since just before my 16th birthday), but if I'm going to do it, the ring seems to be a convenient method. The claim is that you can get away with even lower doses than with the pill, since it doesn't have to go through your digestive system *and* it's a more regular release than the pill, because it works constantly, not once a day. Also, you don't have to worry about getting sick and wondering if you threw up or otherwise ejected the pill before it took effect.
As for antibiotics -- I don't remember the exact explanation, but I had my pharmacist do some research, and I think there is still a tiny but not-zero chance that antibiotics can interfere with the nuvaring.
The only thing I've not been able to get info on -- despite calling the Nuvaring helpline directly -- is whether they're safe with various types of lubes. That's really annoying. I have my own theories, but it's hard to understand how they wouldn't have information on that.
[Hi Monique. Funny thing is I'd heard about the ring but never really heard how users felt about it. Oh, and the other thing that surprised me about seeing the sample in the exam room was how small it was -- looking at photos you don't really get much sense of scale but I figured it would be something closer to the size of the ring on a diaphragm but it's really closer to... um... maybe one of those old silver dollars? Anyway, thanks again for the testimonial. --fl]
Submitted by 1978 (not verified) on Fri, 2008-02-29 13:03.
I went for a mammogram a few years ago and had far, far worse treatment. Well the treatment itself was OK in the end but the interpersonal skills were close to appalling. I haven't been since. I know, I know, I know, but that's what happens.
Submitted by 1978 (not verified) on Fri, 2008-02-29 18:23.
I haven't tried the ring, but I've been on the pill for almost 15 years now (except for when I was pregnant). I don't hate it and I haven't had too many problems other than weight gain, but I don't love it either. What I really, really want, though, is the Mirena IUD. Except that my insurance doesn't cover it, so I have to wait a few more months to save up enough to get it.
[I'm sorry insurance doesn't cover it, KS. I sort of get why they might not, even if they cover other forms, but when they work for you (they don't work for everybody) they seem to work really well. --fl]