The Orion Online

Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Features

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Click here to read Chris Thompson's counterpoint
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Ball cupping and gynecologists' monkey wrenches may seem funny, however, sexually transmitted infections are no joke and the Student Health Center makes it far too easy for students to avoid getting tested.

Getting tested once a year is not often enough when sleeping with multiple people in a 12-month span, and if you slept with someone shady, jetting to the center the day after to test your pee for gonorrhea isn't enough time to know if you're in the clear.

For students in long-term relationships, once a year should suffice. But let's be real, in college who's to say your partner is staying faithful?

Making an appointment at the Student Health Center, Planned Parenthood or Women's Health Specialists to get tested for free is the first step. Set aside about an hour of your day for the waiting room and examination. My first exam was unexpected and slightly traumatizing. Senior year of high school, I was rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery for extreme abdominal pain. The medical staff called a gynecologist in at 3 a.m. to check out my "situation." Just as I thought things couldn't get worse, the oldest male doctor strolled through the doors and said, "Spread 'em."

It took me about a year before I gained the courage to go back and be tested. This time I requested a female and voluntarily checked in. I wasn't nervous because I figured, compared with Dr. Old Guy, this would be a walk in the park.

A little bit of poking, some questions about my sex life, some looking around and the appointment was over. Usually, a urine sample or blood test takes place depending on what you wish to be tested for. Although it was somewhat awkward to let a stranger examine my most private places, I kept reminding myself that gynecologists have seen the worst of the worst.

The most nerve-racking part of the experience is waiting for results. Even though I went in pretty positive I was free of any sort of disease, I still had the "what if?" in the back of my mind.

It's so important for females to be tested, especially since STIs such as Chlamydia don't always have symptoms, according to

about.com. If certain diseases are left untreated, they can cause difficulties in reproduction later in life. Diseases such as human papillomavirus and herpes are the gifts that keep on giving and need immediate medical attention. Passing these STIs back and forth means giving a partner more than what he or she bargained for.

Being tested is not scary. It shows responsibility and care for people you want to be intimate with. If you can't really remember the last time you were tested, or have never been, I suggest making an appointment right now. Who knows... maybe you'll finally find out about that itch you've been scratching.

Dionna Mash can be reached at
dmash@theorion.com

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