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STI Rates On The Rise, NEiu’s student health services offers free sti/hiv testing

Amaris E. Rodriguez

It starts with education. Growing up in a very conservative Christian household, I was never exposed to any form of sex education talk from my parents. This left me at the hands of my high school health teacher, who actually did a good job at informing students. However, this is not always the case.

David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STI Directors, said in a NBC interview, “There is an extreme lack of awareness about STIs and sexual health. Doctors are not screening and testing for these (infections) and patients don’t know they need to ask to be tested.”

The Student Health Services offers free STI testing for registered students. While the office cannot test for all types of STIs, they are able to test for HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Results are available within a couple of days, testing is always confidential and Student Health Services can offer prescriptions for treatment.

Since the Trump administration proposed to cut the budget for STI and HIV/AIDS prevention, colleges have begun to also cut back on the health services provided to their students.

They can also do partner treatment if a student tests positive. This allows a students sexual partner to receive treatment if they are NEIU students and a prescription to go get the medication at a drugstore if they are not.

“Students get a lot of information during the orientation sessions but health services is probably not something that they are thinking about. Talking to other students and word of mouth on this campus seems to be a good way of getting information out,” Schacht said.

Cathy Schacht, an advanced practice registered nurse at NEIU’s Student Health Services office, believes that STI screening is important every time someone gets a new sexual partner.

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