Hi Dr Sean,

I am coming to London sometime within the next 3 months and would like to come and have a full STD screen. I would prefer to have a consult with you, and would like to ask if you will be going away anytime before the end of Feb 2012?

I have a few questions regarding the testing that I hope you don't mind answering:

1. What needles do you use at the clinic to draw blood? Are they the Green 21g vacutainer needles, or the butterfly needles that are individually plastic wrapped? I ask because i am terrified of being infected by a needle, and the green vacuatainer needles are not individually wrapped in plastic, rather they just have a sticker on the outside covering. I mean no offense, but my fear is very real and I will just go on in circles if my mind thinks there was a chance the needle was not clean.

2. Do you perform all examinations and blood draws with gloves and does the doctor do the actual blood draw?

3. Is the syphilis test only a VDRL/RPR or does it includes a TPHA or EIA(ELISA)? If only a RPR/VDRL, can the other tests be requested as well at my cost?

4. Do you provide copies of the test results for the patients to keep?

5. How long does it take to get the results of all the tests, including the extra syphilis tests as I will only be in London for about 4 days?


I do not in any way intend to offend or question your professionalism, the questions are just a reflection of the extreme anxiety and fear within my own mind. I sincerely hope that you see it in that light.

Kind Regards

Hope to See you soon

[Dr Sean]

Hello

You've asked:-

"1. What needles do you use at the clinic to draw blood? Are they the Green 21g vacutainer needles, yes or the butterfly needles that are individually plastic wrapped? I ask because i am terrified of being infected by a needle, and the green vacuatainer needles are not individually wrapped in plastic, rather they just have a sticker on the outside covering. I mean no offense, but my fear is very real and I will just go on in circles if my mind thinks there was a chance the needle was not clean.we use the vacutainer needles - they are quite safe and sterile - but if you find these unacceptable then we can use butterfly needles. I don't see a difference actually but there you are

2. Do you perform all examinations and blood draws with gloves and does the doctor do the actual blood draw?I don't routinely use gloves to take blood - since I qualified (now a very long time ago) gloves/no gloves have been in and out of fashion so many times - I'm old and happy to use no gloves. The doctors do the blood taking

3. Is the syphilis test only a VDRL/RPR or does it includes a TPHA or EIA(ELISA)? If only a RPR/VDRL, can the other tests be requested as well at my cost?its an IgG/IgM

4. Do you provide copies of the test results for the patients to keep?of course

5. How long does it take to get the results of all the tests, including the extra syphilis tests as I will only be in London for about 4 days?within the four days


I do not in any way intend to offend or question your professionalism, the questions are just a reflection of the extreme anxiety and fear within my own mind. I sincerely hope that you see it in that light.no problem, but equally you'll appreciate that we may well have a technique/process that you may feel uncomfortable with whilst remaining entirely safe - so far we seem to have failed on the type of needle and no gloves as a routine



best wishes, Sean