Health wise

Experimentation could be the most popular college subject. Being on the cusp of an emerging adulthood manipulates one's behavior in surprising ways. Maybe it was the cheap beer in the signature red party cup. Maybe he was carrying your books to class. It could have been the scent of the girl who sits in front of you in sociology. The forces of nature tend to take control in the college years.

Fortunately, students have a home for the growing pains. No parental consent necessary.

The Student Health Center is on the University of Nevada, Reno's north campus area in the Redfield building on the medical school campus. They provide care for students that varies from immunizations to radiology.

Enid Jennings, a health educator for the University of Nevada, Reno, decided there weren't enough opportunities for check-ups in the down-there zone. It seemed like an excellent time to increase free testing periods.

“We used to do free STD testing once a semester,” Jennings says. “But we piloted once a week testing last semester which was fairly successful, so now it's once a week, always tailoring to students, always free on some level.”

Jennings proved there was a real need for an increase of STD awareness. A consistent number of students showed once a week (ranging from 18 to 20 students) in the two-hour time period in which free testing was offered. However, there remains a number of students hesitant to take that step, so the health center encourages awareness starting from the very beginning of the college cycle.

“We present on the importance of sexual health during orientation,” she said. “It's really important that students understand that most STDs go untreated and there are serious consequences to this.”

A wide array of STDs are spread on campus. The most common is HPV, human papillomavirus, which has been proven the major cause of cervical cancer. HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, is rarely diagnosed. Students are usually fairly intimidated when confronted with questions on sexual history, however there is no shame in blushing.

“My advice would be not to be nervous,” Jennings says. “There are no stigmas here, it's just another piece of health.”

Soon the cause will come full circle. Next semester, students will run the program, answering questions for their fellow students undergoing the tests. Training is happening now with big hopes for the future.

“We are adding a peer education to the program,” Jenning exerts. “It will literally be student to student.”