Students encouraged to get tested early, regularly
In addition to diabetes and cholesterol screenings, the Thomson Student Health Center lab services now allow students to order tests for common sexually transmitted infections (STI) — gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV — without a referral from a physician.
The Student Health Center decided to open up these testing orders after two consecutive annual trial weeks of the “Get Yourself Tested” (GYT) campaign in April, a national initiative started by MTV and the Kaiser Health Foundation, and supported by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As part of the campaign, the Student Health Center encouraged students to get tested either through a physician or by directly ordering the tests from the Student Health Services lab.
Sexual Health Program Coordinator Shameka Wilson hopes that allowing students to order their own tests will empower them to take charge of their preventative health.
The tests range from $11 to $40, depending on the type of infection, and are not covered by the student health fee.
“People said they felt better about going straight to the lab; having to go through a physician was seen as a barrier,” Wilson said.
“It’s certainly recommended that you see a physician first, but hopefully this will break down that barrier. After all, it’s awkward having a conversation with anyone about your sex life.”
Promoting STI awareness among youth has become an area of interest for the CDC, which has estimated that of the 19 million new STI cases each year, half occur in young adults ages 15 to 25.
As many as one in two sexually active young people will contract an STI by age 25, and according to Wilson, most won’t know it since the most common STIs are asymptomatic, though they could lead to more serious illnesses, such as HIV, if left untreated.
“[Getting tested for STIs] should be a routine thing, like going to the eye doctor or the dentist,” Wilson said.
“Students know they can get the tests, but the problem is getting them to actually go. People will admit they’re sexually active, but they don’t think that testing applies to them.”
Wilson says making sexual health a norm will take much more education beyond self-ordered STI tests.
Student Health Services will host a fall event to raise awareness for GYT and other preventative measures, in addition to their annual, high-profile “Project Condom” event.
Although students can go to other clinics for testing, laboratory Director Heather Stewart-Grant recommends that they get their testing done at the Student Health Center in order for the center to collect accurate data on student health status and report to the American College Health Association.
“When students come here, we are better able to watch what’s going around on campus and know when something becomes a problem,” Stewart-Grant said.
“Keeping it at home helps us know what’s going on from an epidemiological standpoint, so we can serve students better.”
Students can request the tests via MyHealthSpace on the Student Health Services website.