Welcome to another edition of Daily Sparkz patient stories.
At Daily Sparkz, we believe that sharing personal experiences can help reduce the stigma that many people feel about getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases. We’ve collected stories from people who got tested to inspire and encourage others to take this important step in their sexual health.
Certain names and details in these stories have been changed for privacy reasons.
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“I never thought I would be comfortable talking about it. At least that’s what I assumed. I don’t know.”
When we first spoke to Snezana via video call, she seemed a little uncomfortable, hesitant and ready to close her laptop and curl up on the couch with her phone. Instead, she pauses and continues, taking a deep breath and panting loudly.
“I guess you’re going to ask me a lot Questions. Let’s move on.”
Your sexual health is important. Make sure you do this by booking a test at a clinic near you today.
Snezana is 26 years old and works for an energy company in Inverness. On the video call, her curly hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail and she’s wearing a fleece sweater that appears to be more than twenty years old. She aggressively sips a large cup of tea in the shape and color of a wooden barrel, and when she puts it down, she puts it down carefully so as not to make too much noise.
Snezana’s family moved to the UK from Lithuania in 2005 and settled in Scotland. At 18, she went to the university in Rouen, France, to study engineering as part of an exchange program. She expected to spend the rest of her training there.
“I remember thinking that summer: This is going to be a great time. I’m going to finish my studies, maybe I’ll stay in France and move to Paris. I didn’t have a plan, but everything looked very clear in my head.”
But her last year was in 2020.
“That’s all gone out the window,” she said.
When COVID broke out, Snezana had to return home and continue her studies online, which was very disappointing for her. She graduated and had to have her degree mailed to her.
“My mom really wanted me to get it on stage. I think she wanted me to get it more than I did.”
During the second lockdown, Snezana had difficulty finding work. Tensions were high in her house due to isolation and she tried to find some excuse to escape.
Luckily, during lockdown she reconnected with a friend from high school in Inverness, a young man she called Magnus, via Facebook. After dozens of WhatsApp messages and a few Zoom calls, they decided to break the COVID bubble rules and meet at a local park. From then on, Snezana and Magnus met twice a week for almost a month, until Magnus was reported to the police by his brother.
Magnus and Snezana continued to stay in touch, but the guilt of breaking the rules caught up with them.
“But I think it was just the situation. COVID. Everyone was afraid of getting sick. I saw an ad online for testing and was surprised. I had no reason to think I had something. But I thought: Why not?”
“I just thought it was too much to think about, too much to handle. Then we got caught. So yeah. Not ideal.”
When we asked if anything happened during their meetings, Snezana remained reserved and did not go into details.
“But I think it was just the situation. COVID. Everyone was afraid of getting sick. I saw an ad online for testing and was surprised. I had no reason to think I had something. But I thought: Why not?”
Snezana said if she wanted to get tested, she wanted to go all out. She purchased from a private provider who would test for nearly a dozen different conditions.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry. I wanted to be sure.”
Snezana ordered a home testing kit by mail, but when it arrived she had some problems.
“I have Renaud’s syndrome, which is where blood doesn’t flow easily to your hands, especially when you’re cold, and I remember it was very cold when I did the test. I opened the packet and took everything out. I took the urine sample, but then I had to collect the blood. The instructions said to use the lance at the end of my finger and collect the blood from there, but when I tried, I just couldn’t do anything find out. I tried to run my hands under hot water and warm them.” with a hair dryer, but it just didn’t work. I got fed up and threw it away.”
Luckily, lockdowns in the UK were lifted in late summer 2021, and when this happened, Snezana felt more comfortable booking an STI test at a local clinic.
“It was just easier. I went in and they did everything for me. The nurse took my blood and I did a swab too. Peed in a cup, everything. It was great. I got the results the next week.”
The test returned a positive result for ureaplasma infection. Luckily, she didn’t need to take any medication – just a few lifestyle changes.
“My doctor told me to eat more yogurt and shower more often. That was a little embarrassing. But it worked. After a few weeks it went away.”
Although she didn’t have a serious infection, Snezana was glad she got tested.
“I was just glad I didn’t get it when I met Magnus. Maybe that was it. But either way, it’s gone now.”
When asked what she would say to other people thinking about getting tested, Snezana was adamant:
“There are so many options and possibilities now that there’s no real excuse anymore. If you get tested and don’t, to me you’re just a crazy person. Crazy, crazy.”
Don’t leave it to chance. Book a test at a sexual health clinic near you.
