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Getting infected with a Sexual Transmitted Disease (Std) and then taking the necessary procedures to treat your problem regardless of what country you find yourself in is always going to be a arkward and uncomfortable preposition. The unfamiliarity of the countries medical protocol and the inability to communicate at length also adds to this difficult set of circumstances. I unfortunately found myself to be in this situation here in Japan and just wanted to let others know what the general medical process was. First I'd suggest that if you have any abnormalities down below, up above, in between... wherever that you treat them seriously and seek medical advice. Stds are generally easy to treat usually with a cycle of antibiotics but if left unattended can cause more serious problems.

Through the valuable services that Health Hokkaido offer I was recommended a clinic that dealt with uranal problems and STDs specifically. Unlike the procedure back in my country where you book an appointment to see your doctor Japan seems to take the first in first served approach. So I recommend you take along a book, as the process isn't quick. I arrived shortly after the doors opened at 8:30 to a reception area filled with mainly elderly men. The reception staff were soon aware of my awkwardness, "eigo ga hanase masu ka", I quickly asked. Unfortunately no luck on the English front, but all they wanted was a name, number and address which we managed to fumble our way through. The nurses are aware your there for a reason so don't feel like you have to try and explain your symptoms at this point, simply give them your contact details and sit down.

After sitting down for half an hour I was presented a paper cup with my patients number written on the side and directed to the toilets. I'll drop you another word of advice and that is to drink plenty of liquids before hand, as sometimes in the heat of the moment you just don't need to go. You don't need to fill the cup up to the brim either as they only require about a 20cm sample. The cup with the urine sample is left inside the toilets on a little shelf and is collected by the nurses. At this point in time it's good to have a book as I waited for around two hours until I was called into the doctor's office for my diagnosis.

As medical terminology is generally universal the doctor was able to speak to me in limited English, which also meant that it was possible to explain my symptoms to him without to much trouble. He talked me through a magnified sample of my urine that was up on a computer screen and signalled that it contained blood cells, which was an indicator of Stds being present. I recommend that you get the doctor to write down your diagnosis as I left the clinic thinking I had Gonorrhoea or Chlamydia but in actual fact as I found out when I returned a week later he was going to test for these Stds. My test results concurred that I didn't have either of these Stds so be aware even though you may be able to communicate with the doctor his ability to explain or reversely understand what your asking can be a little blurred. The doctor prescribed me the necessary drugs to treat my problem and I was asked to return to the clinic a week later to give another urine sample that would identify if the Std was still present.

So there you have it. A fairly straightforward experience that cost me about 15,000 yen, which included two consultations and drugs. I hope that gives you a rough idea of what your about to experience when you head to the doctor for an Std related illnesses. If you have any other questions or queries please contact Health Hokkaido directly and they will be happy to help you out.

Infected with a Sexual Transmitted Disease