I’ve been waiting with these other at-risks all morning, trying to get comfortable in an annoyingly upright plastic chair, because my latest boyfriend, my most significant other, just told me he was sleeping with men. I didn’t ask how long he’d been cheating or when he first knew he was gay. My first thought was my health; who knows what the recently discovered swinger had brought into our bed.
Oh, and just one more thing. A tiny detail: My bisexual boyfriend isn’t
real; I made him up to score free vaccines for an upcoming trip to Asia.
I feel bad about abusing the system, but as a freelance writer living
in Manhattan, I really have no choice. When shared rooms on Craigslist
start at $1,500, I barely have enough left over for a $3 slice of plain
pizza, let alone a health insurance plan.
The two shots I need—Hepatitis A and B—together cost nearly $600.
Cursing my life and financial status, I debated canceling the trip when
a fellow traveler let me in on a secret: Go down to the free clinic in
Chelsea and tell them you found out your boyfriend is bisexual and
cheating. If they believe you, they’ll have to give you the vaccines
for free, as you’re part of a high-risk sexual category.
