Wellness Center offers free STD tests
By Kelly Ogiba
Last Updated:5:39 PM EST 10/15/08 Section: News
With three out of four college students being sexually active, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major health care challenge in the United States, especially on college campuses.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 19 million new infections occur each year, with over half of the victims falling between the ages of 15 to 24. By age 25, one to two sexually active persons will contract an STD.
With Rochester being the number three city in the country with the highest gonorrhea rates, a statistic that depends on population density of an area, St. John Fisher's Wellness Center is becoming proactive and now offers STD and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screenings.
"College students fit into this age group of people who are most affected by STDs," director of the Wellness Center and nurse practitioner Maureen Niche said. "With this information, and the fact that freshmen don't have cars on campus, our services are convenient and confidential."
Students must set up an appointment to have the screenings and tests completed. Since specimens are being sent to ACM labs, there is a price, which varies depending on the specific infection.
HIV tests are $30 with results coming back between one and two weeks, where syphilis tests are $10 and can come back within two days. This payment can be billed to a student's insurance or the student can pay out of pocket.
When the results come in they cannot be release to anyone else without that student's written permission. Students are also counseled about STD's and given information as well.
Senior nursing major Aubrey Traver feels that the Wellness Center is taking an active role in improving and protecting the community against this.
"Whether we'd like to believe it or not, we at Fisher as well as in the Rochester community have a problem with STDs," Traver said. "Fisher offering an STD screening program will help the wellness center providers detect the infections earlier and may potentially help prevent the spread of a life long disease."
Many times most women do not show symptoms of having STDs, or as it's now being referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), therefore testing is strongly recommended and advised for students who are sexually active.
With 1.6 million new infections of genital herpes each year, some experts suggest that by 2025 40 percent of all men and half of all women could be infected.
With statistics like these, students should consider getting tested. AIDS Rochester will also be coming to campus to offer free HIV testing later this semester.
To set up an appointment for testing, contact the Wellness Center at 385-8280 or e mail them at wellnesscenter@sjfc.edu.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 19 million new infections occur each year, with over half of the victims falling between the ages of 15 to 24. By age 25, one to two sexually active persons will contract an STD.
With Rochester being the number three city in the country with the highest gonorrhea rates, a statistic that depends on population density of an area, St. John Fisher's Wellness Center is becoming proactive and now offers STD and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screenings.
"College students fit into this age group of people who are most affected by STDs," director of the Wellness Center and nurse practitioner Maureen Niche said. "With this information, and the fact that freshmen don't have cars on campus, our services are convenient and confidential."
Students must set up an appointment to have the screenings and tests completed. Since specimens are being sent to ACM labs, there is a price, which varies depending on the specific infection.
HIV tests are $30 with results coming back between one and two weeks, where syphilis tests are $10 and can come back within two days. This payment can be billed to a student's insurance or the student can pay out of pocket.
When the results come in they cannot be release to anyone else without that student's written permission. Students are also counseled about STD's and given information as well.
Senior nursing major Aubrey Traver feels that the Wellness Center is taking an active role in improving and protecting the community against this.
"Whether we'd like to believe it or not, we at Fisher as well as in the Rochester community have a problem with STDs," Traver said. "Fisher offering an STD screening program will help the wellness center providers detect the infections earlier and may potentially help prevent the spread of a life long disease."
Many times most women do not show symptoms of having STDs, or as it's now being referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), therefore testing is strongly recommended and advised for students who are sexually active.
With 1.6 million new infections of genital herpes each year, some experts suggest that by 2025 40 percent of all men and half of all women could be infected.
With statistics like these, students should consider getting tested. AIDS Rochester will also be coming to campus to offer free HIV testing later this semester.
To set up an appointment for testing, contact the Wellness Center at 385-8280 or e mail them at wellnesscenter@sjfc.edu.
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