I think I have syphilis but I am scared to get treated (temporary foreign worker)

[friedbeans]

I'm on an open work permit. Some time back I made some silly decisions and I think I might have contracted syphilis.

I have a few symptoms though they are not severe.

So far I have not gone to any doctor because I am scared of what effect this will have on my status in Canada and my eligibility for PR in the future.

Can someone please advise?

Is it at all possible to get tested confidentially (without giving my identification) and maybe getting some penicillin or whatever drug is required to treat syphilis? So that I can heal myself and erase this out of my system?

Or if that option does not exist, I'm guessing I will have to go to a regular hospital and show my health care card and they will perform all the testing.

If I go with the latter option and they find out I have the STD, what will happen? Will I get deported? Will they inform my employer? Or will they simply administer treatment.

I'm scared that they will document it on my profile and put a permanent mark there that will flag me as a threat for all future healthcare visits.

Will it somehow hurt my chances of applying for PR in the long run?

 

[andrews17]

If you don't have any critical symptoms, you should go to a family doctor/walk-in clinic before going to a hospital.

Do you have health coverage?

Your health condition will never be shared with your employer. I don't believe this should be a reason to deny you any immigration process.

 

[canuck78]

I'm on an open work permit. Some time back I made some silly decisions and I think I might have contracted syphilis.

I have a few symptoms though they are not severe.

So far I have not gone to any doctor because I am scared of what effect this will have on my status in Canada and my eligibility for PR in the future.

Can someone please advise?

Is it at all possible to get tested confidentially (without giving my identification) and maybe getting some penicillin or whatever drug is required to treat syphilis? So that I can heal myself and erase this out of my system?

Or if that option does not exist, I'm guessing I will have to go to a regular hospital and show my health care card and they will perform all the testing.

If I go with the latter option and they find out I have the STD, what will happen? Will I get deported? Will they inform my employer? Or will they simply administer treatment.

I'm scared that they will document it on my profile and put a permanent mark there that will flag me as a threat for all future healthcare visits.

Will it somehow hurt my chances of applying for PR in the long run?

This is not an appropriate use of hospital services. Find a sexual health clinic typically run by public health or a GP/walk-in clinic. If you get treated it will not impact immigration but typically you are reported to public health so they can monitor cases of STIs and on some cases they advise sexual partners about exposure to try to stop transmission.

 

[Copingwithlife]

I'm on an open work permit. Some time back I made some silly decisions and I think I might have contracted syphilis.

I have a few symptoms though they are not severe.

So far I have not gone to any doctor because I am scared of what effect this will have on my status in Canada and my eligibility for PR in the future.

Can someone please advise?

Is it at all possible to get tested confidentially (without giving my identification) and maybe getting some penicillin or whatever drug is required to treat syphilis? So that I can heal myself and erase this out of my system?

Or if that option does not exist, I'm guessing I will have to go to a regular hospital and show my health care card and they will perform all the testing.

If I go with the latter option and they find out I have the STD, what will happen? Will I get deported? Will they inform my employer? Or will they simply administer treatment.

I'm scared that they will document it on my profile and put a permanent mark there that will flag me as a threat for all future healthcare visits.

Will it somehow hurt my chances of applying for PR in the long run?

If you’re in Toronto , search online for the Hassle Free Clinic downtown Toronto . There’s another one at Roncesvalles Avenue, Queen West . No ID required. Hassle Free is free , one on Roncesvalles is Healthcard or cash

They don’t give penicillin for free . Yah gotta pay for something. You’ll get a script and you go pay for it


And you don’t go to a hospital . Thats ridiculous to use a hospital for a STD

And from someone who has been around the block a few times. Take a deep breath, calm down and do not self diagnose yourself

Btw people who work in std clinics have seen it all . Calm calm down

 

[friedbeans]

This is not an appropriate use of hospital services. Find a sexual health clinic typically run by public health or a GP/walk-in clinic. If you get treated it will not impact immigration but typically you are reported to public health so they can monitor cases of STIs and on some cases they advise sexual partners about exposure to try to stop transmission.

I live in a rural part of the country and there is no sexual health clinic close by. But why is it inappropriate for a regular hospital, I thought you could go in there for any ailment of the human body?

What happens after I am reported to public health? I'm guessing they will monitor me in some way, but how deep does the monitoring go?

Also will they monitor me for the rest of time? Or only for the duration of my treatment plan (until all rounds of medication have been completed)?

 

[friedbeans]

If you’re in Toronto , search online for the Hassle Free Clinic downtown Toronto . There’s another one at Roncesvalles Avenue, Queen West . No ID required. Hassle Free is free , one on Roncesvalles is Healthcard or cash

They don’t give penicillin for free . Yah gotta pay for something. You’ll get a script and you go pay for it

Yeah I know penicillin is not free. I was only wondering if I can get it without having to show my ID.

Unfortunately I don't live near Toronto. I live in a rural part of Canada. Is it at all possible to get penicillin online? Are there sexual health clinics that do online diagnoses and send drugs by post?

 

[Copingwithlife]

Yeah I know penicillin is not free. I was only wondering if I can get it without having to show my ID.

Unfortunately I don't live near Toronto. I live in a rural part of Canada. Is it at all possible to get penicillin online? Are there sexual health clinics that do online diagnoses and send drugs by post?

They won’t go an online diagnosis because they’ll have to take a swab and or urine sample
Why are you so concerned about your identification? NOTHING is shared unless you’re a public health risk

 

[canuck78]

I live in a rural part of the country and there is no sexual health clinic close by. But why is it inappropriate for a regular hospital, I thought you could go in there for any ailment of the human body?

What happens after I am reported to public health? I'm guessing they will monitor me in some way, but how deep does the monitoring go?

Also will they monitor me for the rest of time? Or only for the duration of my treatment plan (until all rounds of medication have been completed)?

It is an inappropriate use of hospital services because it is not an actual emergency. Most are also not set up for basic STI testing that will require a follow-up appointment and require wait for test results. Public health only monitors cases and advises potential contacts to get tested when if there is a general benefit or risk to the population. Their only goal is to prevent spread of communicable diseases and monitor levels of communicable diseases so I would not worry about that. Go to a walk-in clinic or GP. STIs are extremely common and are seen in most doctor’s offices all the time. Syphilis and sadly congenital syphilis cases are on the rise and aren’t getting enough attention.

 

[canuck78]

Yeah I know penicillin is not free. I was only wondering if I can get it without having to show my ID.

Unfortunately I don't live near Toronto. I live in a rural part of Canada. Is it at all possible to get penicillin online? Are there sexual health clinics that do online diagnoses and send drugs by post?

Do not try to find some sort of online treatment. You need a test to confirm for syphilis and should also get a panel done for all STIs and a blood test for HIV.

 

[canuck78]

If you’re in Toronto , search online for the Hassle Free Clinic downtown Toronto . There’s another one at Roncesvalles Avenue, Queen West . No ID required. Hassle Free is free , one on Roncesvalles is Healthcard or cash

They don’t give penicillin for free . Yah gotta pay for something. You’ll get a script and you go pay for it


And you don’t go to a hospital . Thats ridiculous to use a hospital for a STD

And from someone who has been around the block a few times. Take a deep breath, calm down and do not self diagnose yourself

Btw people who work in std clinics have seen it all . Calm calm down

If you have health coverage I would seek out options where clinics call bill for services if possible. This can alleviate pressure on clinics that don’t require a health card. Although many may feel embarrassed STIs MDs and nurses deal with this all the time and are much happier to see people seek out treatment than not.

 

[friedbeans]

Public health only monitors cases and advises potential contacts to get tested when if there is a general benefit or risk to the population

This is what I'm worried about. So what if I get tested at a clinic. Who exactly does public health notify(warn) about me? My family? My neighbors and flatmates? My employer? How exactly does it reach out to these people and inform them that I am a risk?

 

[friedbeans]

They won’t go an online diagnosis because they’ll have to take a swab and or urine sample
Why are you so concerned about your identification? NOTHING is shared unless you’re a public health risk

How do they determine if I am a risk? What if I do have syphilis or another STD? Doesn't that technically mean I am a risk because I can pass it on to someone else?

Who do they share this information with once they have decided that I am a risk? And how is it shared?

 

[canuck78]

This is what I'm worried about. So what if I get tested at a clinic. Who exactly does public health notify(warn) about me? My family? My neighbors and flatmates? My employer? How exactly does it reach out to these people and inform them that I am a risk?

They would only ever reach out to sexual partners and it’s unclear if they have the resources to do so for syphilis cases these days since there are so many. If they don’t contact people you should be doing it yourself. Just send a quick text telling sexual partners that they need to get tested. Public health’s only goal is to try to limit spread and to protect the general public if someone is purposefully trying to spread infections (luckily that is rare).

 

[canuck78]

How do they determine if I am a risk? What if I do have syphilis or another STD? Doesn't that technically mean I am a risk because I can pass it on to someone else?

Who do they share this information with once they have decided that I am a risk? And how is it shared?

Think you are overthinking this. Public health’s goal is trying to reduce spread of disease and treat existing health issues. Their goal isn’t to ruin people’s lives. They don’t share sensitive medical information to the general public. You need to get treated and you should also have an STI panel done. Not getting treated is not an option.

 

[friedbeans]

Their goal isn’t to ruin people’s lives. They don’t share sensitive medical information to the general public.

They don't care about privacy. I once went to a hospital to enquire about STD testing and the doctor loudly discussed everything I whispered to him, and everyone in the waiting area heard the conversation.