By Emily Carson
News Editor
According to the Center for Disease Control, sexually active adolescents and young adults are at a higher risk for getting sexually transmitted diseases. Nearly half of the 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases (STD) diagnosed each year are among young people aged 15 to 24. This is something Bonaventure, home to more than 2000 young people, needs to pay attention to.
Some STDs are incurable and others come with long-term health risks if left untreated, yet Bonaventure students are unable to be tested for a STD at health services on campus.
Health.ny.gov displays a list of places in Cattaraugus County which offer STD testing. However, students shouldn’t have to venture off campus to deal with such a scary and sometimes life-threatening health problem. There are plenty of other services on campus to help a student in need. A student’s sexual health is just as important and should be treated the same.
Many students live on and off campus without a car and testing clinics in the area are not within walking distance. The closest Planned Parenthood site is in Hornell, and the closest STD clinic is in Olean. A student might feel too embarrassed to ask a friend to drive them to the testing site. If it was offered on campus, they could have the procedure done in private.
Professionals recommend sexually active teenagers to have an STD test done at least once a year. Students may feel more willing to have the test done if it’s offered conveniently on campus. They can easily have the procedure done without anybody else knowing.
If the test was on campus and the cost was free, more students would be willing to have their health checked.
Students live on campus the majority of the year and are expected to feel comfortable, even in regards to their personal life. It would be nice to feel like their school is concerned about their sexual health, even if it doesn’t support it. That way, a student may begin to be more concerned about his or her own body too.
If anything, having an STD test done provides peace of mind and prevents others from becoming infected. There’s nothing but good things that can come from being tested, including finding treatment if needed or just knowing that you’re sexually healthy.
