Time sensitive, is 2 weeks enough time to get tested?

[EthicalNewbie]

QUICK QUESTIONS:
(1) How effective is the urine-based clym/gonn test 4 days after sex?
(2) Are there any other tests I can take within a week or so after the sex, and given no symptoms?
(3) *Realistically*, if I don't show any symptoms by the 2 week mark, are there still decent chances I could have something serious that hasn't shown up yet and transfer it to the new partner?

DETAILS
I'm age 25 male. This last week (24th) I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a low risk age 27 female partner. In 2 weeks I'll be back together with my long-term age 22 female partner after a break. These are my only two partners. The age 27 hasn't had sex with anyone in 9 months, but may have been exposed before that (testing status unknown, but never any symptoms). The age 22 had 3 previous partners many years ago, never any symptoms or testing. She also doesn't know about this recent sexual episode, and the why is outside the scope here.

I went to the doctor for info and have looked online, but need more realistic, concrete detail, not abstract vague statements. I have no symptoms, but don't want to risk transferring anything to my long-term partner. To be safe, I wanted to get tested, so I went to the doctor today (28th, four days after unprotected sex). They ran a urine-based clym/gonn test which I'll get back soon. Assuming it's negative and I see no symptoms in the 2 weeks following unprotected sex, is it safe to sleep with my long-term partner without risking her health? I can't wait past the 2 week mark to make the decision, so I have to act based on limited information. Doctor's office and online info don't talk about how soon after exposure a urine test will be reliable, or how soon after exposure symptoms would show, etc.

In other words, given that the unprotected sex was recent, and assuming no symptoms, what else can I do to check my status before the 2 week mark? I know I won't know everything, but realistically is it ethical to have unprotected sex with someone 2 weeks after exposure if you have no symptoms and the background is all low-risk? Or could something huge and dangerous easily show up in a month or two that would very unlikely show up in a mere 2 weeks?

Thanks!

[auntiejessi]

Hi there -

I wanted to clarify a couple of things.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia tests are accurate within 3-5 days, so there is a good chance they were accurate.

Blood tests for these infections are not an accurate way of testing, and should only be done when urine or swab tests can't.  You also don't mention where you live.  If you are in the US, you will have a hard time finding a blood test for gon/chlam.

Have you talked to the 27 year old and asked her to test?  If she hasn't had sex for 9 months, all of her tests will be accurate.  If she is negative for everything, and she's been your only partner outside of your LTR, then you don't need to worry.

You might not get symptoms of herpes or syphilis within 2 weeks, and while its terribly unlikely that you got either from her, it would be good to know if its a concern.

Aj

[EthicalNewbie]

Thanks for the response. I'll be realistic: for whatever reasons, telling the long-term partner about this (which would happen if I held off on sex) is unlikely, unless I have reason to think I'd be a *significant* risk to her (people take minor risks all the time as a routine part of being a sexual being).

I'll try a blood test at the week 1 mark for whatever I can. But syphilis is pretty rare and I'm not in a high-risk situation. And I thought there is no test for herpes or HPV unless you show symptoms??

Is herpes often carried silently by women? I know symptoms aren't always present, but could someone commonly have it for a year without ANY symptoms? Or is a lack of symptoms on her part a sign herpes is unlikely?

HPV is the biggest worry, given how many strains and how easily hidden it is (and carried by men silently). But it sounds like there's no good test for a guy (assuming warts don't show), and it may just show up years later. And anyone may be carrying it already. For the warts strains, would my partner likely have had symptoms in the last year if she had it? I.e. is her lack of any symptoms for a year reason to think warts are unlikely? The non-warts strains worry me, but I guess that's just a reality of any sexually active person, since any guy could be carrying that from previous encounters and transfer it many years later to a monogomous partner.

HIV seems very, very unlikely, given how rare it is in a low-risk situation like mine and no signs on anyone's part.

[r_johnson]

To revise my first comment, a urine test should be able to detect the infection but doesn't always at the early stage of an infection, blood tests are usually more indicative.

[r_johnson]

There are several types of STDs: Bacterial, Viral, Parasitic and Fungal.  Bacterial and viral infections are usually tested for.  

1)  Generally the symptoms for chlamydia and gonorrhea begin showing a week after infection, but the bacteria is within your system and should be detectable through urine tests before symptoms show.  

2)  You should probably get tested for syphilis as well as that's a bacterial infection.  Unfortunately, viral STDs generally have a much longer incubation period, so testing within two weeks may show negative results, but months later may be otherwise.  

3)  Even if you get the clear from chlamydia and gonorrhea, other viral infections still may be incubating in your body (herpes, HPV - they cause warts, HIV).

I would recommend you to wait about two or three months until you've gotten tested for the other STDs before engaging in unprotected sex.  Even if brings up unwanted questions from your partner, she should thank you in the long run for limiting her exposure to a potential infection.

Hope this helps.