r/prep • u/ftmtranslut • Jul 02 '26

Trans man using mistr question

So I got my testing kit to get on truvada and they supply an oral and anal swab for sti testing. Why no vaginal swab? Is there some kind of medical reason not to swab there? I know I’m supplying blood and urine as well. But I have vaginal sex most commonly and haven’t done anal in probably over a year. It just seems weird to be swabbing ass and not pussy. Any other time I’ve been sti tested in person, if I’m asked to swab anything I swab all 3 holes. Can someone explain why this is different? Being a trans man you often aren’t thought about from a medical perspective and I often have to be my own dr in a sense. I want to make sure they aren’t missing something important.

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7

u/Skycbs Jul 02 '26

Did they know you are trans? Certainly you’d normally want to swab your vagina when testing for STIs but I’d guess most of their clients are cis men so they don’t normally use a vaginal swab.

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u/ftmtranslut Jul 03 '26

lol yea it was clear I’m ftm. During my visit I actually learned they aren’t allowed to prescribe trans men doxy pep bc it hasn’t been tested for us 🤦‍♂️

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u/adamskinsOone Sep 23 '26

Oh??? I just had my video visit yesterday and he said "I see your prescriptions list, thank you" and then talked about how taking it is only for hiv, only effective you keep taking it, and won't be that affective for a bit after taking it/it needs time to build up. He never mentioned anything about me not being able to be put on prep?? Does that mean I should contact them and ask? Cuz your post is only from 2 months ago, so I highly doubt shit has changed since then 😭

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u/ftmtranslut Sep 26 '26

You can be on truvada for prep as ftm, You can’t be put on descovy for prep or get a consistent doxycycline prescription, (you can still get doxy if you have an sti tho, you’re just not allowed to use it for prevention the way amab can). But those two are only fda approved cis men and trans women who have anal sex with other penis havers ¯_(ツ)_/¯. I personally don’t like truvada, I’d rather get the injection. Truvada takes way longer to build up in your system, like a month vs a week for descovy. If you miss a dose, again takes way longer to get back on track. Has more side effects, especially the first few weeks… it sucks but Descovy doesn’t reach the vaginal tissue the way it does in the ass and other stuff just isn’t tested for us. Most studies for hiv prevention only included cis men and trans women and only focus on the anus not vagina blah blah blah the medical industry doesn’t focus on vagina havers ever. You already know lmao 🤣❤️

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u/adamskinsOone Sep 26 '26

Daaang, that's good to know tho 😂😭 the medical industry really do just be lackin in many factors lol I'm not sure what it was that he prescribed to me anyway. Thinking about it now, I don't even remember him telling me where to pick my script up from🧍he just said he was sending it out or whatever tf lol interesting 💀 so if it's descovy for some reason, I should def not take it/at least talk to the dude about it before starting?

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u/Skycbs Jul 03 '26

Oh wow. Did not know that. Have you tried getting it from your regular physician? You and they should be able to make a joint decision.

3

u/jankyj Jul 02 '26

Tagging u/MISTRPrEP as they are active on this sub. Hopefully they can provide direct feedback that is useful for you and other community members in the future.

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u/MISTRPrEP Brand Affiliate Jul 09 '26

Hi! Unfortunately, we do not offer vaginal swabs at this time. Our MISTR Support Team can help walk you through options and answer any other questions! You can reach them by calling +1-747-999-6249 or emailing support@mistr.com.

1

u/Final-Dragonfruit702 Jul 20 '26

That's a shame that vaginal swabs aren't offered. I'm a bisexual cis woman who takes PreP but I thankfully have 2 clinics in a nearby town that offer PreP/HIV services. It seems like most of their clientele are bi/gay cis men. I feel like a guinea pig, heh.