"This is how it should be"

Today Laura and Mary were really friendly and knowledgeable and I learnt more about my sexual health today than I have in many years.

Learning that my data is secure and cannot be accessed by anyone outside the NHS for example insurance companies was really useful  and goes a long way to making me feel comfortable about giving honest answers. I come from a generation where this data was not protected. 

I learnt about the risks of oral sex and the limited usefulness of taking prep if that's all I'm going to be doing.

Mary, who took my blood, was such an outgoing and happy person that I actually felt much better in myself leaving the clinic which normally feels like a grim task.

The way certain questions were asked made them more accessible. For example, they asked if I had ever had sex with somebody who had used IV drugs or had used them myself. Even though I haven't used them personally, the combined question would made it actually feel more comfortable to say yes if I had.

This is the first time that getting tested hasn't felt like a shameful confessional about my "sins" of the last 3 months. And the friendly, happy, informal approach of the staff today just made it a breeze. Thank you. Really appreciated.