In between and after all this, I had a Syphilis test negative at another local hospital on 3/01 (54 days, though I don't know if this was RPR or not because it doesn't say on the sheet they gave me, it only says "Syphilis Screen"). RPR and Hep C negative on 3/04 (57 days) via Quest, and neg again for both on 3/31 (84 days) at LabCorp. I feel anxious though as I''ve read Hep C can take up to 9 months for antibodies to show up, and those are the tests I've been having. And I also feel nervous that my courses of Doxy and penicillin may have skewed my RPR results. Today at Quest I got done an RPR, Syphilis TP, and Hep C RNA PCR tests. Should I expect those to come back negative? I haven't had any symptoms besides a large pained zit or boil on my chest and a stiff, achey jaw. Thanks for the help of this forum, it's a huge help for those with terrible anxiety like myself. 

Your test results for both syphilis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are definitely conclusive. Your exposure was zero risk for both:  syphilis is almost nonexistent in partners like yours, and HCV (contrary to popular beliefs) is rarely if ever sexually tranmitted and should not be considered an STD. (The only proved sexual transmission of HCV is among men having potentially traumatic rectal exposures with other men. Aside from men having sex with men, HCV should not be included in STD test panels.) But even if either of these was a potential risk, the test results prove you were not infected. The only way your antibiotic treatments could have "skewed" your syphilis test results would be by curing syphilis before the test ever became positive. Either way, for sure you do not have either of these infections and should not have any further tests for either one.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

1. The Syphilis T.P. test is for seeing if you ever had the virus at one point, yes? It's been over 100 days since I've had sex, so I can rule out syphilis entirely at this point right (I'm sure the answer is yes, I'm just making sure)?

2. In regards to gonorrhea/chlamydia, I've had several negatives especially at 47 days which was before I started any antibiotic treatment. It was at the hospital and I was hooked  up to an IV so I could give them a urine sample. Is there any bearing on a G/C test regarding how long it was since I last urinated? I just ask because the woman who took my blood and urine at Quest at 57 days asked me if it had been an hour since I last urinated. This was in the morning so it had barely been an hour. Does it matter if it was 1 or 2 hours? I just keep thinking maybe I didn't do it right at 54, 57, and 84 days since I never really kept tract of when I last voided before being tested. If someone is poz for G/C does that necessarily matter?

3. Along a similar question of #2, I got tested for Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma at a urologist in the middle of March. I don't remember what day, but it was in the middle of my penicillin treatment which was in that time of the month. I can't help but wonder if my not keeping track of when I last voided / my antibiotic treatments may have interfered. I was having discharge symptoms and a general leaky feeling along this time until a few days into April, but it was never discolored or smelled bad. It was this symptom that had my doctor take a culture and it was an eteroccocus faecalis infection that I went on the penicillin for. This also seemed weirdly related to when I had quit marijuana, as the symptom of discharge disappeared during my first 10-day penicillin course but then reappeared a couple days after I relapsed and smoked with my friends. It's been 48 days since I did last smoke and I don't feel this discharge or leakiness anymore. And again, it never smelled bad and was only discolored when I first noticed it which is what prompted my doctor to take the culture. Would mycoplasma/ureaplasama show up on a culture swab? And how long should I wait at this point before testing again for them (if I need to be tested that is)? I'm seeing my urologist on 5/12 so I wonder if I should get another test.

Anyway thank you Dr. This forum service is very helpful.

2. Time since last urination makes no difference in gonorrhea or chlamydia test reliability.

3. E. faecalis is not normally sexually acquired or transmitted. However, if you had insertive anal sex (top) soon before onset of that problem, you might have had urethritis due to that bacteria, which is a normal component of intestinal and rectal bacteria. Absent such exposure, you had a non-STD urinary tract infection, with urethritis and/or prostatitis. In any case, it sounds like that problem is gone. As all this implies, it isn't an STD problem and I'll have nothing more to say about it. Bring up any remaining questions with the urologist. (Make sure s/he has the full picture of your sexual risks, if any -- especially if you have had anal sex or have sex with men.)

And I intend to test again for Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma at the urologists on 5/12, is there anything I need to do to prepare for that test (like making it my first void of the day, drinking lots of water, etc etc)?  It has never once burned or pained me to urinate in the past 3-almost 4 months, no fevers, etc etc. I just ask because I'd like to put thoughts of STDs behind me and I very much value your expertise on them. I keep thinking I may have to be tested again at 6 months, but again everything has come back negative at 12 weeks (my last full full panel that is, HIV, Syph, G/C, Hep A B and C, etc. I received my Hep B vaccine as a child due to attending public school). Thank you very much and I'm aware this is my last possible reply.

I recommend against testing for Ureaplasma or Mycoplasma. As I said above, they are normal in the genital tract and rarely if ever cause disease or symptoms. If positive, it won't mean anything is wrong and will not require treatment. So why do it? (All STD experts and CDC strongly recommend against ever testing for them!) And therefore it doesn't matter whether or how you "prepare".

That concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful.