Chlamydia,
gonorrhea leading STIs on campus
By Cassady Jeremias
On-line Forty-Niner
The
most common STI at Cal State Long Beach
is chlamydia and gonorrhea is the second,
according to Student Health Services.
In 2001, there were 1,804 women tested for
chlamydia at the Health Services, according
to Karen Taylor, lab supervisor at Student
Health Services. There were 38 positives,
a percentage of 2.1 percentage, roughly
average for Los Angeles County.
Chlamydia is especially serious for women,
said Larry Harvey, clinical coordinator
of Student Health Services.
“Chlamydia is an infection that when left
untreated can eventually cause sterility,
and is serious because there are usually
no symptoms,” Harvey said.
All women who come to the center for a Pap
smear get tested for the bacterial infection,
unless they sign a release, Harvey said.
But Harvey sees the biggest problem with
students getting tested is complacency.
“People see so many ads, art and discussions
about STIs that at some point you just don’t
hear it anymore,” he said.
“Gonorrhea and chlamydia cases are higher
in the U.S. because they haven’t gotten
much coverage. How many chlamydia awareness
days have you heard of,” Wendy Nomura, human
sexuality lecturer in health science, said.
Sexually active individuals are advised
to be tested regularly, even if there are
no symptoms. Diseases can be in the blood
while showing no signs on the outside.
“They get extra credit in my class if they
do it, but they don’t have to tell the results,”
Nomura said.
A flurry of new birth control methods have
come out recently, none of which prevent
STIs except the female condom. The condom,
according Harvey, is not too well received.
“It is cumbersome. The female must hold
it in place at first or it will be dragged
in. And the male cannot use a condom with
it,” Harvey said.
It is made of latex, and must only be used
with water based products to prevent damage
to the condom while in use.
“This means no using whip cream, chocolate
or anything oil based,” Harvey said.
Also new in birth control methods is the
female hormone patch called Ortho Evra.
It is the size of a book of matches and
thinner than paper. According to Nomura,
the biggest complaint about the patch is
skin allergies.
Also new, the Nuva ring, which when inserted
is good for up to one weeks worth of oral
birth control methods. While these methods
are not yet available at the health center
on campus, they will be eventually.
Harvey said he wants to get the message
across that the health center is there for
everybody, no matter what kind of relationship
they are in. The center provides prescription
drugs at low prices and an array of birth
control and STI prevention items including
dental dams, a small square latex sheet
that is used when giving oral sex to prevent
the exchange of bodily fluids.
“We have a contract with the state and CSU’s
so we can drive drug prices down so we can
pass on savings to the students,” he said.
Even with condom use, and other methods
of birth control, they must be used regularly
and correctly for them to be effective.
“Condom use is going down between men who
have sex with men because AIDS is now seen
as a treatable disease. Not curable, but
treatable, there is now some complacency,”
Nomura said.
“But the biggest culprit is drugs and alcohol,”
Harvey said. “Students don’t realize that
the acts they do today really has a consequence
down the road.”
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