Event to study health, safety
by Tiffany Davis, south news editor

    Students are invited to Spring into Health at the South Campus Health Fair.

    Flo Stanton, coordinator of health services, promotes good health with early detection information; confidential HIV testing administered by Beth McCarthy, HIV prevention specialist, and health screenings provided by the HPE department.

    “It is imperative that students have access to resources that enable them to maintain their optimal level of health,” she said.

    While alcohol is still prevalent in society, records show that the mixture of both drugs and alcohol is partly responsible for the increased violence and unsafe sex among young people.

    According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of teens and young adults who use the new designer drug Ecstasy is growing rapidly.

    “Alcohol and drugs contribute to date rape, unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections/diseases (STI),” she said.

    The American College of Health Associations (ACHA) studied the secret epidemic of STIs, on college campuses.

    Their studies revealed that HIV concerns remain at the top of the list but are now accompanied by concerns about the increased infections of other viruses and bacteria.

    STIs are infections of the genital tissue. The infections are spread when another person comes into contact with an infected person’s skin or body fluids.

    Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most often diagnosed

    STIs among teens and young adults. It is a virus that can cause warts on the genitals and anus in both genders, but it often produces no symptoms.

    Chlamydia is another of the most common STIs. It is a bacteria infection that infects the cervix and tubes in women and the epididymis in men.

    It also produces no symptoms, but it can cause pain during urination and an abnormal genital discharge.

    If this infection is left untreated, women can suffer from infertility.
According to the studies, teens and young adults are a higher risk for STIs than other age groups because the group is more likely to engage in risky contact such as sexual intercourse and direct contact to infected skin.

    Condoms do not cover the upper thighs, or other skin that can be infected and transmit the STI as well, thus condoms are not 100 percent reliable.

    Abstinence is the most reliable prevention since infections can be transmitted without penetrative intercourse.

    The Health Fair will be Wednesday, April 18, in the SUB 10 a.m.-2 p.m. HIV testing will be conducted 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the SUB Forum Room.

    To arrange an appointment for a private HIV test, contact Beth McCarthy at 817-275-3311. For more information, contact Stanton at 817-515-4531.

     The HIV testing results will be available Wednesday, May 2, in ACB 146.