College should be a time for new experiences, for experimenting, and for figuring out who you are and what you like. Your body, your rules! Unfortunately, sometimes things happen. And by things, I mean STIs. Infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and genital herpes are on the rise, so it’s important to maintain your own sexual health—for your own sake and the sake of your partner(s). Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to easily get STI testing done on a college campus.
Step One: ALWAYS USE PROTECTION
Whether protection means a male or female condom or a dental dam, it’s important to use protection with new partners, with any partner who hasn’t recently been tested, and just as an added precaution with any partner. Condoms and dental dams are highly effective at preventing the spread of STIs. However, even if you use protection 100% of the time, it’s still recommended by the Center for Disease Control to get tested at least annually.
Step Two: Book an appointment
Many colleges, including SUNY Geneseo, have an online booking system where you can easily and quickly book an appointment that works for you. For those of you who are concerned about STI testing showing up on your parents’ health insurance, rest assured. The school cannot legally share that information with your insurance, so it’ll show up on your parents’ health insurance as lab work. If you’re still uncomfortable with that, you can choose to have it billed as a student fee to your Geneseo account. The cost for the chlamydia and gonorrhea test is about $29.
Step Three: Go to your appointment
The appointment, provided that it’s just a simple urine test, will take under fifteen minutes. The nurse will likely ask you a few questions about your sexual history, which can be disconcerting, but they are simply trying to provide guidance should you need it.
Step Four: Get your results
Your nurse should let you know how long it’ll take for your results to come back. Until then, it’s wise to abstain from sexual activity.
Step Five: Get treatment and/or get tested again soon
If your result is positive, it’s important to get treatment immediately and to tell your partner(s). If your result is negative, make sure you continue getting tested regularly to catch anything you may contract as early as possible!
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