Health Matters
GET TESTED
Kaila Thompson
Columnist
Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: Arts & Culture
Students believing in their own invincibility may be setting themselves up for many heartbreaks, among them contracting a sexually transmitted disease and not catching it early enough for complete treatment.
Many STDs do not present symptoms, and carriers mistakenly believe that they are unaffected. People engage in promiscuous sexual activity, not knowing they are spreading their disease or infection to others. The result is high infection rates on college campuses, especially among African-American women.
"In high school, I was under the impression that when you were interested in a girl, you courted and asked her out," said Patrick
Walker-Reese, a junior history education major from Nashville.
"(W)hen I came to college I was amazed that the females became the aggressors.
"The media has a lot to do with why it's widely accepted and the whole generation has the 'Superman' impression that (STDs) can't happen to me," he continued.
One STI that has been silently affecting the general population and college campuses is the Human papillomavirus (HPV). It has been linked to cervical cancer in women and while it primarily affects women more, men can still be carriers.
Most men who get HPV of any type never develop any symptoms or health problems, yet some types of HPV can lead to genital warts.
Several students believe that our campus needs more sexual education.
"Some people are scared and have the same questions and concerns as others," said Jocelyn Jordan, a sophomore graphic design major. "We need to have more seminars to educate students."
One way health officials aim to prevent the spread of disease is by encouraging the sexually active community to get tested. •
Many STDs do not present symptoms, and carriers mistakenly believe that they are unaffected. People engage in promiscuous sexual activity, not knowing they are spreading their disease or infection to others. The result is high infection rates on college campuses, especially among African-American women.
"In high school, I was under the impression that when you were interested in a girl, you courted and asked her out," said Patrick
Walker-Reese, a junior history education major from Nashville.
"(W)hen I came to college I was amazed that the females became the aggressors.
"The media has a lot to do with why it's widely accepted and the whole generation has the 'Superman' impression that (STDs) can't happen to me," he continued.
One STI that has been silently affecting the general population and college campuses is the Human papillomavirus (HPV). It has been linked to cervical cancer in women and while it primarily affects women more, men can still be carriers.
Most men who get HPV of any type never develop any symptoms or health problems, yet some types of HPV can lead to genital warts.
Several students believe that our campus needs more sexual education.
"Some people are scared and have the same questions and concerns as others," said Jocelyn Jordan, a sophomore graphic design major. "We need to have more seminars to educate students."
One way health officials aim to prevent the spread of disease is by encouraging the sexually active community to get tested. •
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