"I have gonorrhea?"

[lawrocket 3]

I don't! But imagine how many relationships Canadian medicine ended.

Story at http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031030/ap_on_he_me/std_tests_reversed_1

Thousands Given Wrong STD Results
Thu Oct 30, 1:25 PM ET

CRANBROOK, British Columbia - About 3,000 people got the wrong results when they were tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia over an 18-month period, health officials say.

Because of a faulty diagnostic machine in this southeastern British Columbia town, test results for the two sexually transmitted diseases were reversed, Alison Paine, a spokeswoman for the Interior Health Authority, said Wednesday.

Officials were notified of the defective BD ProbeTec in July by the manufacturer, Becton, Dickenson and Co. of Paramus, N.J., and immediately stopped using it, Paine said.

"The machine was flipping the tests results," Paine said. "In other words, if you were a positive, you would have received a negative reading. If you were a negative, you would have received a positive reading."

About 3,000 people are believed to have been tested between Nov. 1, 2000, and May 24, 2002, and about 83 were told they were clean when they actually had one of the diseases. Most of the 83 have been contacted but not all, Paine said.

The rest of the 3,000 were told they were infected and were given treatment although they did not have the diseases, Paine said.

Cranbrook is about 120 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash.

Untreated, both diseases can lead to sterilization in women and increase the risk of contracting HIV (news - web sites) or AIDS (news - web sites) in men and women, according to the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Authorities said they didn't know how many people may have had sex with 83 test subjects who didn't know they had at least one of the diseases.

"We're very concerned about consequences," said Dr. Paul Hasselback, the province's senior medical health officer for the region. "That's why it's important that the information get out there."

A spokeswoman for the manufacturer could not be reached for comment Wednesday by The Canadian Press, but a notice on the company's Web site Aug. 22 stated that the defect was found in two machines out of 1,000 tested worldwide.

The notice blamed incorrect installation of "optical bundles" and said the company was working with Health Canada to ensure a prompt recall.

"Neither the costs anticipated with this recall, nor the impact on BD's ProbeTec ET instrument business, are expected to be significant," the notice added.

According to the CDC, chlamydia may be one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases among women.

It is easily cured with antibiotics but often goes undiagnosed because 75 percent of women and half the men that get it have no symptoms.

If left untreated, as many as 40 percent of infected women develop pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause severe abdominal pain and fever.

Gonorrhea can also go undetected in women and also can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.

One in five women with pelvic inflammatory disease becomes infertile.

Untreated gonorrhea in men can cause painful or swollen testicles that can lead to infertility. Gonorrhea can also affect the prostate and can lead to scarring inside the urethra, making urination difficult.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[freeflygoddess 0]

I wonder how many marriages that ended?

[Sebazz1 2]

Um.. Holy fak-in shit cow man!! That really really really sucks for everyone.

If you did have it they said you didn't.... hmmmm

If you did not have it they said you did... hmmmm

Yup that is really really bad.

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

I wonder how they let it slide. I mean, wouldn't it seem a little out of the ordinary for only 82 people out of 3000 to be negative, and the rest positive? I mean, I don't know what the actual statistics are like, but i'm assuming that most people come up negative (correctly).

What idiots!

Angela

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

I've also gotta wonder of those who did in fact have the disease, but were told otherwise; how many became infertile? Do they have any ground to for legal action since they likely would've been fine if they'd been treated?

Angela.

[lawrocket 3]

Well, it's funny because I specialize in medical malpractice. Normally, one would not be tested for gonorrhea or chlamydia unless one had symptoms. But, the odds are they chose to reexamine this when they looked at the statistics.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[freeflir29 0]

Lets hear a big HOOOOYAHHHH!!!! for that Free Canuk health care.

[Slappie 9]

Quote

Um.. Holy fak-in shit cow man!! That really really really sucks for everyone.

If you did have it they said you didn't.... hmmmm

If you did not have it they said you did... hmmmm

Yup that is really really bad.

You make a very valid point Seb.. It says 3000 people got false results saying they had it. How many were tested in the 18 month period? I mean on if 20,000 people were tested in 18 month and only 3000 got reverced results. That means there are 17000 people running around BC with postive results, but were told they were clean!!

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[smiles 0]

I was tested for STD's at local clinic (Fraser Valley, Vancouver B.C.) and when I went for results the nurse went thru all explaining they were negative- and then at the end told me I was positive for Hep C.............. holy crap. If I hadn't got STD's test-- would never have been diagnosed with Hep C.

8 years of getting regular liver enzymes blood work with normal results and no symptoms. I just had a complete blood work done with a "new"group of tests for Hep C and results are negative???? Totally unsure if I should laugh or cry

SMiles

[andy2 0]

probably not many. Think who is the usual person to go get tested. Someone who is having permiscuous sex. Not a married man/woman (usually) (though it is a good idea to get regularly tested).

---------------------------------------------
let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[freeflygoddess 0]

actually the most people to be tested are pregnant moms...plus I was just commenting on what happend with my ex...that is how I found out he was cheating on me...thank god it is taken care of now.