Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014
Dear AMA,
I picked up a sexy girl at a club a few weeks ago, but in the heat of the moment decided against spending the extra ¥1,000 for a pack of condoms on the way to the hotel. Now I’m worried that I may have caught something—and it wasn’t the first train home. Is there any way I can get tested anonymously? I don’t want my girlfriend or boss to find out about my extra-curricular activities.
—Oops I Did It Again
Dear OIDA, we passed your query on to the good folks at TELL (formerly Tokyo English Life Line). Here’s what they had to say…
“Finding out about services in Japan when you don’t speak the language can be extremely challenging and frustrating. There are a number of clincs available for confidential and anonymous STD and HIV testing, but these vary depending on where you live in Japan. The TELL Lifeline (formerly Tokyo English Life Line) can help you find what testing center is available in your area, its hours of operation and procedures involved. Wiki-tell, accessible via the TELL website, is another option and provides a list of services and organizations available Japan-wide for the international community. The Japan HIV center also has an English hotline 03-5259-0256 that is available on Saturday from noon to 3pm.
However, if you have any questions about the testing procedures in Japan for HIV/AIDS, such as the window period for getting an accurate result, the phone counselors at TELL Lifeline are all trained in this topic. Typically you will need to wait 90 days from the last time you had unprotected sex before you can get an accurate HIV/AIDs test, but you can get tested for other STDs in the mean time, and thinking about safe sex options during this time will be important.”
Answer courtesy of TELL. If you need to talk, they’re here to listen. Call the TELL Lifeline at 03 5774-0992 from 9am-11pm, 365 days a year or visit their website at www.telljp.com.
If you want to “Ask Metropolis Anything” about life in Tokyo, send your questions to askanything@metropolis.co.jp and we’ll find the most appropriate people to answer your queries.
