Be Smart, Get Tested

Young people often place their health onto the back burner as college students.

In the midst of other priorities such as classes and extra-curricular activities, health issues frequently take a back seat to other aspects of college life.

It is very imperative that sexually active college students take a proactive approach to their sexual health. They should be knowledgeable in the areas of protection and prevention against unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). According to Smartersex.org, a website that offers peer-oriented support, addresses health concerns, and provides information about various sexual health topics: one in five people in the United States has an STD, two-thirds of all STDs occur in people 25 years of age or younger and at least one in four Americans will contract an STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) at some point in their lives. Even more astonishing is the fact that less than half of adults ages 18 to 44 have been tested for an STD other than HIV/AIDS. Such staggering statistics should serve as a wake-up call for many young people to be more responsible regarding their sexual well-being. Perhaps one of the main reasons American youth tend to be so passive about their sexual health is the fact that they believe that they would be able to know who is or is not infected by relying on sight alone. A recent survey conducted by Smartersex.org found that 62 percent of men and women think they can tell if someone has an STD just by looking at them, despite the fact that the two most common STDs, Chlamydia and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), may not show any visible symptoms. Another probable factor is that many students may feel ashamed or embarrassed about talking to others about sexual topics. This fear or shame may keep them from getting tested or asking questions that may prove informative. There are many reliable resources regarding sexual health for young people, such as Smartersex.org aforementioned, which can provide students with the answers to many questions and clear up many misconceptions about sex. One should take into account that embarrassment or fear is temporary, but some STDs are not. These feelings should not get in the way of students' health. Some may also feel that they are invincible, and they would never encounter anyone with an STD.

"College students generally have a low perception of their risk," Chantha Prak Forsyth Co. Health Dept. HIV/NTS Coordinator said. "For instance, some may say: 'I use condoms with some partners, but not others,' 'I use condoms at the beginning of a relationship,' or 'He/she said they were clean.'" The main way students can make an effort to ensure they are being proactive about their sexual health is to get tested for STDs. WSSU's A. H. Ray Student Health Center provides students with free and confidential HIV and syphilis testing every other Tuesday of the month from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. This service, provided by the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, includes pre-test counseling, testing, and post-test counseling. The department began offering HIV/Syphilis testing to WSSU students in Spring 2002 through its Non-Traditional Offsite testing program (NTS). Are students really taking advantage of this service? According to Prak, about four students are tested each visit. "I do not believe many students are taking advantage of our testing service. You would think more people would take advantage of the test, simply because it is free and confidential," Prak said. She believes many WSSU students do not visit the Student Health Center to get tested because there seems to be a negative stigma associated with it. "Some students assume that if you go to the health center, then you have 'something,' and usually an STD comes to mind. Of course, we know that this is not true. Other students may not be taking advantage of testing because they may not know about our services." Prak said. The department is currently working with the Student Health Center to devise better promotion strategies for the testing. Prak believes that if more students took advantage of services such as the ones the department provides, it would aid in the decrease in infection rates, but that is only the first step. She suggests that students should be more knowledgeable about their partner's sexual history and status before engaging in sexual activity. "People have to not only be educated and aware of HIV and STDs, they have to acknowledge that what they are doing may be risky. Too many people think they are invincible to this virus-- that it can not happen to them. It's not just the IV drug users, or prostitutes, or gay men that are at risk for HIV. It's also those of us who are in a "supposedly exclusive relationship" that may also be at risk if we are not communicating with our partners about our past relationships as well as behaviors," Prak said. HIV and STD testing is very important for sexually active students. "It is very important for students to get tested, especially if they are sexually active and not using condoms every time, simply because early diagnosis of the HIV virus is important. With early diagnosis, people can live longer and prolong the time before they develop AIDS by taking antiretroviral medications if their doctor advises them to, by incorporating a healthier diet plan, and by exercising. Knowing your HIV status can also protect other people from getting infected. During testing, it also provides health professionals the opportunity to speak to each student individually and to counsel them on safer sex and how to reduce risky behaviors," Prak said. Prak advises that students should respect their bodies, reduce their number of partners, communicate with their partner(s), use protection every time, get tested, and become more educated about HIV and STDs. "Someone can look and feel healthy and still be infected with one or more STDs," Prak said.