HIV tests in Japan

[Ihateopapi]

Hi,

I'd like to know if anyone could help me to find a place where I could be tested for HIV and other stds.
I've already e-mailed a support website and I'd like to know if anyone else could maybe offer some advice. This is what I sent them.

I have a reason to be worried about having been infected with HIV and I would like to receive some assistance in finding a place to get tested. My residence is located in Saitama, more specifically around the Urawa area. I would be extremely grateful if you could assist me in finding a clinic where I can get tested (the cheaper the better) around my area. I believe it is called "Hokenjo"? My Japanese is not sufficient to understand the websites that I have found, but it is decent enough to communicate with the doctor verbally, if he can not speak English.

I have searched on the internet but so far I only know of one such place in Shinjuku, which is a little bit far from here. I am still planning on going tomorrow if I don't find another place, but I don't even know if they are open during the golden week.

The reason why I am worried is that yesterday, I went out with friends in Shibuya, and after drinking way too much, I was approached by a woman proposing an erotic massage. After following her, I ended up having sexual relations with her at the end of the massage. The penetration only took place for a short time, and the massage place seemed quite clean from what I can remember. I am 23 years old and in good health, I don't have any cuts or wounds of any kind on myself, and there was no blood on me after the relation. However, I am still very worried, because I have done something extremely stupid by having relations with a woman who most likely has unprotected sex with dozens of men every week.

Outside of this case, I have never had sexual relations with anyone else than my steady girlfriend whom I have been dating for years. Now, because of what I did, I am worried for my own safety as well as hers. Needless to say, I am disgusted at myself and this is something that I will never do again, but now I may have to live with the consequences of what I did. Obviously, if I am tested positive for HIV, I will admit everything to my girlfriend, but as you can imagine, I would like to keep this to myself for now, in order to continue having a normal relation if it turns out that I am negative.

Once I find a good place to get tested, how soon after the event should I take the test? Remember, the unprotected relation took place yesterday. Is it too soon if I go this week? If the test is cheap, is it ok if I go several times a month for the first few months?

So there you have it. I know some will be tempted to laugh at me and to be honest, I deserve it, because this is the stupidest thing I've ever done. So go ahead if you must, but if you make fun of me, at least try to offer some help as well. Hopefully this will end up as nothing but a big scare and an important lesson learned, but on the other hand, I can't help but fear the worst.

[pumpum]

Try going to www.IShouldHaveWornAJohnny.com all the best!

[Nyororin]

Obviously, if I am tested positive for HIV, I will admit everything to my girlfriend, but as you can imagine, I would like to keep this to myself for now, in order to continue having a normal relation if it turns out that I am negative.

I say tell her now.

It may seem unnecessary if you`re not positive... But that is not the case. It will seriously be cutting the damage to get it out on the table now and not later. Chances are, she will find out - whether being told by someone as you`re not the only one that knows this happened. You went with friends, and there was another party involved. Not to even mention the other people who possibly saw you... And if you`re not Asian, I can bet you they`re going to remember you. Who knows how the info may get around to her...
Or, she`ll pick up on it herself and do the research. You may not be conscious of it, but I`m willing to bet that you are acting slightly different, are responding to her in a different way, etc... And if you care about her at all are not having sexual relations with her for the time being. Those are flaming red flags that something happened.
Even with testing, it isn`t an overnight thing. I believe the quickest they can tell is 2 weeks, but it can take anywhere between that and 6 months before a positive shows up. If you don`t test positive the first test, they wait and do another, then another, then another.

Imagine the fallout if a) She finds out before you get the results, or b) She finds out after you`ve tested negative. All this time you were keeping it a secret and could have been infecting her... It jumps from being simple stupidity that led to betrayal to drawn out betrayal and apparent lack of concern for her life itself. ("I would have told you if I had been positive!" isn`t gonna cut it...)

Even the horror on finding out if you do tell her after you`ve tested positive is going to be horrible. Yeah, I`ve kept it a secret all this time even though I was suspicious from day one.

And if you ARE maintaining a sexual relationship with her during this period of uncertainty, you seriously deserve to die. But I`ll assume you at least care enough about her not to be.


As for the test, never been in that sort of situation so can`t say for certain, but... I believe they will refer you privately to somewhere if you visit your local hoken center. Here is the link to the official page with a crappy map showing the Urawa-ku health center.
http://www.city.saitama.jp/www/conte...781/index.html

[SaintKat]

Brand spanking new account? Check.
First post about sex/relationships? Check.

Conclusion: Obvious troll is obvious.

[Ihateopapi]

Nyororin, thanks for your advice. The location on your map is less then 10 minutes by bike from where I live. It will be extremely useful, now I wont have to go to Shinjuku for that.

I was so freaked out in my head that I hadn't even considered the option of telling her right now. But you're right, in the eventuality that I turn out positive, this would be the best way to prevent extra emotional damage...

Anyway, I really need to think about it, I'm thinking of mostly avoiding her for the next few weeks, because even though we live close, it's easy to blame it on the work schedule. Then as more tests would turn out negative I'd increase the frequency of our meetings back to usual. I was gonna postpone sex for as long as possible, but damn... I guess I might have to tell her eventually anyways...

I highly doubt she'd find out from someone else though. I left the club alone and started heading back home, but my friends stayed there until this morning. So I was alone when I went with that chick.

Anyways, thanks.

And as for the last guy, it's hard enough for me as it is. If this happened to you, would you post this story on a forum where everybody knows you?
I'm in Japan and wanted advice from internet users, hence, I typed into google, "japan forums", and this site was the first page, because that's what it's called. Common sense. I mean, I was expecting some mockery, because I did something really stupid, but that was just disrespectful and useless.

[SaintKat]

If you're a legitimate poster then we'll be seeing more of you in the forums no doubt. Countless trolls on various forums with topics similar to yours have lent me a certain cynicism.

[ozkai]

Go to a hopsital in the area. ASK them

[Ihateopapi]

If you're a legitimate poster then we'll be seeing more of you in the forums no doubt. Countless trolls on various forums with topics similar to yours have lent me a certain cynicism.

I registered here to make this specific thread and ask this specific question anonymously on the internet. I got my answer, from Nyororin who provided a very helpful map.
I might join other topics, or I might not (who wants to be known as the guy who's first post was about THAT?).
But for the time being I got the help I came for. And so far all the trolling and annoyance in this thread came from someone other than me.

Go to a hospital in the area. ASK them

I'll go tomorrow, although it's probably too early for detection (less than 48 hours after exposure). I'll be sure to go often though, and maybe I'll give an update to this in the future, if I can still find the thread in a few weeks/months. From what I was told on other forums my risk is low EVEN if she DID have HIV (but there's no way to know), but I'm still scared and probably will be for the coming weeks. Anyway, thanks for the support.

[spicytuna]

Those massage-offering girls are everywhere in Japan but they all have a few things in common. They're NEVER Japanese (usually Chinese or Filipino), they give pathetic massages, they'll try to upsell their services and they'll usually pull a bait and switch on you. The services they provide are illegal and the girls are filthy.

I'm not sure why people support these establishments when there are so many licensed/regulated providers which offer the same services for the same or lower price.

[bELyVIS]

The chances of you catching HIV after a 1 time (and being a male helps even more) encounter are about 0.5%. The odds are with you this time, but don't gamble your future away.