The Center for Student Wellness wants students to get tested before they get sexy.
The Health and Wellness Center is partnering with the Student Health Advisory Committee, part of the U’s Student Health Center, to offer free HIV and STD testing for any student with a valid UCard. The HIV testing consists of a painless oral swab, with results ready in 20 minutes.
Katie Stiel, the program manager for the Center for Student Wellness, said being tested can be “empowering.”
“We don’t talk to students about sexual health when they are younger, and then when they’re older and come to campus, they are expected to know how to negotiate sex and protect themselves,” she said. “We have this fear about talking about sex.”
Stiel said students should feel normal about HIV and STD tests, even if it seems “scary.”
“We need to normalize talking to your partner about sex,” she said. “On campus, people are falling in love and breaking out on their own and discovering who they are, and developing sexually is a big part of that. We’re trying to normalize the use of contraception and condoms, and with that comes testing.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About 60 percent of all youth with HIV do not know they are infected, are not getting treated, and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others.” Stiel wants students to improve that statistic.
“It’s important to get tested because finding out early can help students live longer and healthier lives,” she said. “It’s a good habit. It’s a protective factor. It’s a way to look out for yourself and for others.”
The Wellness Center and the Health Center are also providing U students with counselors who can go into details about HIV and STD education, how to prevent the disease and virus, and the next steps to take if the test results are positive.
Jordyn Middleton, sophomore in pre-education, said it’s good for students to follow the “better safe than sorry” adage and get tested.
“I think it’s important because you never know what could happen,” she said. “Even if you think it is impossible for you to have [it].”
The U is also offering mobile testing clinics. At the last clinic, the two centers visited the residence halls, and 32 students took the test for HIV and 35 students for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Next Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the Union Building, the Wellness Center and the Health Center will conduct more free HIV and STD testing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as free flu shots from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stiel said students should follow the two centers on Instagram and Facebook to see where the mobile sites will be in the future.
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@JulianneSkrivan