posted
Men in London may be deterred from seeking a sexual health screen because they fear that an "umbrella"-like instrument will be inserted into their urethras to check for sexually transmitted infections.
quote:A total of 46 questionnaires were completed, 18 men had heard of the umbrella test, and 14 said that the thought of this test had deterred them from attending a sexual health clinic.
This does seem like a very small sample (of male patients, not of urethral contents.) Last time I was at an STD clinic in London there were 10-15 men in the waiting room, on just one day at just one time.
The link has it right - it's a urine test, plus a long Q-tip type thing. Uncomfortable, and slightly painful, but no more. Better that for peace of mind.
Still it's disturbing that a rumour like this can be spread, putting men off treatment. It's not just them, it's any potential partners that may suffer.
Eddy "disease free since '93" Lizard
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
I had blood in my urine about a decade ago, and needed urethral "scraping" to eliminate STD as the cause.
It may have only been a cotton swab, but I'm telling you that it hurt like an umbrella shoved up there.
BTW, it turned out that it was not a STD, or cancer, but a digestive disorder that caused bleeding in my bladder.
Posts: 2064 | From: New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Aug 2004
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