The Women’s Center and the Health and Wellness Center are partnering together to give students the opportunity to get tested for chlamydia. On Monday April 11 from 10a.m. until 2 p.m. in Sykes Ballroom A, free chlamydia testing will be provided to all West Chester Students.
The first 75 students to get tested will get a free t-shirt and the next 100 will get a free water bottle. The Residence Hall Association and Residence Life and Housing are also hosting a competition to see which residence hall can encourage the most students to get tested.
The residence hall that has the most students to get tested wins a free social.
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genital area, and there are about two million new cases of chlamydia each year. The highest rates are among women ages 15-25, but men can catch chlamydia too. Chlamydia has no symptoms among men and women who have it. Women may experience abnormal vaginal discharge and bleeding, missing periods and pain during urination. Men can develop discharge or pain during urination within one to three weeks of having sex with an infected partner. By having unprotected sex, one is more prone to spread chlamydia.
If chlamydia is untreated it can cause an increased risk for infection of other sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.
For women, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility and tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. Babies born to infected women can develop eye or lung infections and infected men uncommonly develop pain and swelling in the testicle.
Chlamydia is a serious problem among college-age students. Alicia Hahn, Assistant Coordinator of Wellness Programs at the Health and Wellness Center, said that, “According to the GYT website (www.itsyoursexlife.com), one in two young people will get a sexually transmitted infection by the time they are 25. Many of these infections will not be visible to the eye, which is why regular testing is so important.”
Dr. Adale Sholock, director of the Women’s Center said “the centers for disease control said that the number of young adults with chlamydia are way up, they are seeing more WCU students with it and so it’s a major public health issue.”
Sholock recommends getting tested: “It’s so easy, all you do is pee in a cup.” It should only take about 15 minutes and “it’s great to know your status,” Sholock said.
It is recommended that people go with whoever they feel most comfortable. They can go alone, with a close friend or with their partner. Partners can and should get tested together. “There is no shame in knowing you status and the testing will be painless and easy.” Sholock said. There will be free prizes, DJing by student Zuri Stone and information tables.
There is a negative stigma about getting tested, but there shouldn’t be. Getting tested and knowing one’s status makes the world safer for everyone. “If you care about yourself and future partners, you’ll get tested,” Sholock commented. “The GYT (get yourself tested) campaign is part of a larger campaign sponsored by MTV, The Kaiser Family Foundation and the US Centers for Disease Control. The campaign promotes open communication about sexually transmitted infections among young people,” Hahn said.
“The free HIV testing campaign was a huge success last year, so we wanted to give students another opportunity to get tested. Chlamydia is one of the more prevalent STIs in the 18-24 age range, so Adale and I thought it was important to bring this testing to campus.”
All testing results are confidential and will be reported about a week after the testing day. If someone tests positive, chlamydia is completely curable and treated with an antibiotic that students can get from the Health Center for $10. For more information about the testing day,Hahn and Sholock can be contacted via the West Chester University e-mail system.
Rebekah Balmer is a fourth-year student majoring in women’s and gender studies and sociology . She can be reached at RB649636@wcupa.edu.