Patient Stories: Izzi

Welcome to another instalment of Better2Know’s Patient Stories.

At Better2Know, we believe that sharing personal experiences can help break down the stigma many people feel around getting tested for STIs. We’ve gathered stories from people who have gotten tested to inspire and encourage others to take this important step for their sexual health.

Certain names and details in these stories have been altered for privacy.

If you’ve had sex and you’re worried about STIs, Better2Know is here to help.

“It was an issue I had to deal with. You hear about these things happening to other people and you think, What’s the bother? But when it happens to you, it gets so real. Ugh.”

Izzi isn’t the kind of person you’d expect to be so open about talking about getting tested for STIs. When Better2Know first spoke to her over a video call, she had her makeup fully done up and was wearing a light blue floral dress, as if she was about to spend an evening with friends on a patio. She’s soft spoken, and her answers are tight and clipped, as if she’s about to say something she’s not sure she should.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling her hands up to her face. “This is difficult.”

Izzi’s story began when she was in her twenties. She took a group holiday to Amsterdam, where she met a history teacher named Rolf through one of her cousins who lived in Rotterdam. They met one night at a bar outside a tram stop, as the string lights began to flicker on, marking the end of the day at 6 pm.

“He seemed really interesting. I think we shared a sense of humour. He said his uncle was an animator in Finland who worked on the Moomins. I loved the Moomins as a kid. After he told me that, we were off.”

Izzi ended up extending her holiday from four days to seven. She stayed with Rolf in a small flat overlooking a canal and a small square, where an orchestra were giving free concerts.

“I’d never done anything like that before. It’s not like me. I don’t think I’d ever do it again, either.  My manager told me off at work! By the end, I had this strange feeling about the whole thing, and I was ready to go home. Besides, after the third day, we didn’t really have much else to do. You can only get so much out of a situation like that.”

Izzi and Rolf kept in touch over the next few months, always intending to meet up again but never getting around to it. Eventually, the trip receded from her mind, and she carried on with her life.

“It was an issue I had to deal with. You hear about these things happening to other people and you think, What’s the bother? But when it happens to you, it gets so real.”

“I remember at the time that it was important to get a test to find out if I’d gotten anything. I got one, but it was negative. So, I didn’t really think about it much after that.”

Izzi returned to London, working at an academic publisher as an editorial assistant. But six months after her trip, she met Tim, an engineer from Flintshire.

“Tim felt very strongly about both of us getting tested before we [got physical].  I didn’t mind. I told him I’d gotten tested recently, but I could do it if [it would make him happy]. He said his mother always drilled into him to use protection, to get tested as much as possible, since she got Hepatitis at one point in her life. I wasn’t worried, since I was negative the first time.”

However, Izzi’s assumptions were wrong. She got tested with a private service, and when the results came back, she was surprised to see that she was positive for Chlamydia.

“It was very embarrassing. I was so nonchalant about the whole thing. I was really shocked. There were never any symptoms, either; no sign of anything wrong.”

Izzi wondered how it could’ve happened, since she got tested after her liaison with Rolf.

“I think I might’ve gotten tested too early? I looked into it. Apparently, you can’t test positive until some time has passed. I got tested right away. I may not have given it enough time.”

Ultimately, Izzi was happy about the way things turned out. She went to her doctor for some medication, which cleared the infection almost instantly.

“Really fortunate what happened. If I hadn’t met Tim, I probably wouldn’t have found out I had it. I would’ve felt awful had I passed it on, especially to him. And then there are the long-term health issues. I know that having Chlamydia for a long time can interfere with having children. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole on Wikipedia. Fortunately, I got some tests done and my GP said everything was fine in that department.”

Izzi was categorical when asked what she’d say to other people thinking about getting tested.

“It’s not worth putting it off. I know a few people who haven’t been tested and probably should. It takes a few minutes. Done.”

When we asked if she was going to have children, Izzy said she was making plans.

“Right now, we’re just trying to have some fun and not think too much about it. Who knows what could happen?”

Don’t leave your sexual health to chance. Book an STI test at a sexual health clinic near you.

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