my gf wants me to go get tested for aids and STD's so im going for the first time tommorow at this clinic where its free my only concern is that I smoke weed regulary and if i got tested would it show?

Not sure, dont know how long weed stays in blood system, stays in hair for like 6 months though. Shouldnt worry, I doubt theyd say anything anyways.

No.

There are little stick type things that they will dip in the container that contains the blood or urine. The end of the stick changes color to indicate the presence of whatever it is that type of stick thingy is suppose to be looking for; and they have all types for them.

If they're looking for HIV/AIDs and they use the stick thingy the stick will only indicate the presence of HIV/AIDs and nothing else.

If they look under a microscope, instead (which, actually, I think is how they look for it.), they still wont be looking for it and I don't believe THC shows up in the blood stream. I mean, I don't think it alters your blood cells or anything.

May be if you took the test while stoned or something... I don't know.

You might want to ask in BLTC.

Cheers,

Lost

naw man fuck bltc im too stoned right now tio switch thingees, but what the dude above me said, thats how i figured the tests would be



they are testing for STD's NOT THC so yeah wait...ok yeah thanks

They dont draw blood anymore... atleast the place i go to dont. They put a nasty stick with a peice of paper on it inside ur mouth, and u hold it between ur teeth and ur cheek for a few minutes. THC wont show up on that one.

~!~Amber~!~

They're not going to go to the expense to test you for something irrelevant like drug use. They're not the police. As other's have said, the tests only test for something specific.

quote:Originally posted by shadow of death:

my gf wants me to go get tested for aids and STD's so im going for the first time tommorow at this clinic where its free my only concern is that I smoke weed regulary and if i got tested would it show?



Well, I doubt that the clinic would even care if you had weed in your system. And even then, you say it's a free clinic and I imagine they probably cut costs by only testing for the stuff they're supposed to be looking for. So likely they won't even be looking for residual THC in your system.

I'd be more concerned about your gf's expectations from this kind of testing. STD testing is more complicated than it at first might seem.

First of all, if it's been less than six months since you last had unprotected sex with anybody, HIV might not show up on the test even if you had been infected. So it's useless to test it until at least six months after the last time you 'fell off the wagon,' so to speak.

If your gf is hoping that this test will pave the way to sex sans condom by giving you a clean bill of health, she might have to wait up to six months from now for the definitive answer to that.

Problem is, if you've been screwing around and know that you might be at risk of having contracted HIV from somewhere, you'll have to tell her, "Look, I would still like to use condoms for a little while yet until I get a second round of tests coming back all negative, perhaps six months from now." If she's smart, she'll know that it means you cheated on her some time in the last six months.

All that aside, screening you for other STDs would require a urine sample and a urethral swab (that means a little but of wire with some sterile cotton attached, shoved about an inch up your dickhole). Personally, I can think of better things I'd rather have done to me.

However, if you've been faithful and have practised safe sex consistently for your entire life, the whole ordeal should tell you what you already know.

EDIT: Joeb (below) is entirely right -- it's the antibodies they test for and I guess since HIV is an immune-system-destroying virus, the body's production of antibodies against it will be a slower process (and, ultimately, a failed one).

[This message has been edited by Shiantar (edited 02-27-2004).]

^ can someone confirm that? It can take up to 6 months of being infected before HIV will show up in a test? I thought it would show up straight away. If not, then it's kind of stupid how you have to get tested for HIV before traveling abroad if HIV won't show up in a test straight away.

^^I've been hearing that for more than a decade, so I've always thought it to be accurate. You'd think tests would have improved by now.

I should post a link to confirm, but I'm lazy at the moment.

THC remains in insoluble fat in then slowly seeps into the blood stream over a matter of days/weeks, thus passing into urine

I've heard that too. i.e. It can take up to six months for HIV to show up because they are testing for the antibodies your body produces to fight the virus.

They can't detect the virus itself.

For some reason your body may not produce antibodies for up to six months until after the initial infection.

EDIT: This is completely OT but this is my 420th post.

There is new technology that can shorten this window period to weeks or days but it is not available for general use.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/95pdf/cdr2124e.pdf

[This message has been edited by Joeb (edited 02-26-2004).]