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Students struggle with sexually transmitted diseases By
Julie Ann Grosshans Even though Bob tested negative for AIDS, he still knows the terror it can cause. "It was the most terrifying two weeks of my life," he said. "I would never want anyone to go through what I went through." Bob, who asked that his real name not be used, now uses his experience as motivation to educate others about the consequences of unprotected sex-- such as AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, or STDs. Bob received a phone call from a former sexual partner a year after the relationship dissolved. She informed him he may have come in contact with AIDS. He was not tested for STDs. He was lucky. Bob did not experience the diarrhea, vomiting, vaginal discharge and cauliflower-like bumps near the genitals as some of the symptoms associated with STDs. One in four Americans between the ages of 15 and 55 will contract an STD, according to a leaflet distributed by the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. The Student Wellness Center distributes a pamphlet authored by Laurie Slothower that says diseases can be passed through vaginal, anal or oral intercourse, as well as by sharing needles for drugs, steroids, vitamins and sharing needles for body piercing or tattoos. The pamphlet cites some common STDs as chlamydia, herpes, genital warts and gonorrhea. Dr. Jim Davis, Student Health Center director, said STDs exist on the Utah State University campus. "STDs are something that we recognize, that we see and that we take care of," said Davis. "It's not a steady stream of students coming in though." Davis said he feels people are reducing their risks by abstaining from sexual intercourse and using barrier methods such as condoms. The Student Health Center will give those who may have an STD a chance to have an honest talk about the disease, provide an evaluation of the symptoms, diagnose and treat any infections, and help to track down any contacts, Davis said. "Most of these illnesses are reportable by law," Davis said. "We have to make a report to the Public Health Department. Every practitioner in the state of Utah does, so you can't keep [an STD] a secret by choosing a different doctor." The Student Wellness Center offers AIDS testing. It gives patients anonymous names, Davis said. "We work with them to maintain anonymity and confidentiality," he said. The Student Health Center is on a cost-recovery basis, Davis said. The center is not out to make a profit and charges only the cost of the test to students. "Once they get past the embarrassment and discomfort, we don't want to add cost to that," Davis said. Of the 20 to 30 cases of STDs diagnosed each year at USU, Davis said chlamydia is the most common. According to the Student Wellness Center pamphlet, it is also the nation's fastest-growing STD. The federal Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta lists chlamydia as having 254 cases per 100,000 people in the United States. "It is the one that has common symptoms which makes it easier to diagnose," Davis said. The symptoms for chlamydia include burning and stinging while urinating, using the bathroom more often and having discharge from the urine outlet or the urethra, Davis said. According to a handout stating the basics on STDs from the Student Wellness Center, chlamydia in males can cause inflammation and infection of the urethra. In females it can cause inflammation of the cervix. Chlamydia often sterilizes its victims. Davis said the Student Wellness Center sees more cases of chlamydia in men because the symptoms are more obvious, Davis said. Many women who have the infection are not aware of it because their symptoms are silent. Eight out of 10 women who have chlamydia have no symptoms, Davis said. "Unless you get it back again, it's gone forever," Davis said. Davis said the second-most-common STD the Student Wellness Center deals with is genital warts, or human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV causes small bumps, which sometimes resemble a cauliflower, on the genital area and increase the risk of cervical and other cancers, according to Slothower's pamphlet. "Human papilloma virus is not treatable to the point of getting rid of the virus," Davis said. "The symptoms and the lesions are controllable, so you can freeze them or burn them to get rid of them, but you can't get rid of the virus from your body." A person cannot receive genital warts by coming in contact with a normal skin wart. The two look much the same though, according to the Student Wellness Center handout. Davis said because of the nature of the infection, more women are seen with HPV than men. "A lot of times you pick up [that women] have genital warts simply because you see them," Davis said. "[Women] come in for a routine exam and men don't often come in for a routine exam on a regular basis." Women routinely are examined when they are on birth-control pills, Davis said. The third-most observed infection the Student Wellness Center sees is herpes type II. A common virus, herpes causes cold sores and fever blisters around the mouth or lips but can also cause genital sores, according to the handout. Although the two diseases are different, it is possible to get oral herpes in the genital area and vice versa by coming in contact with an active sore. "Most herpes is painful, red, irritated blisters, therefore it makes itself very obvious," Davis said. Even though the blisters can be treated with creams to decrease the severity, there is no cure and the blisters will reoccur for life. Gonorrhea is rarely seen at the Student Wellness Center, Davis said. In males, gonorrhea causes severe pain during urination and a cloudy discharge from the penis, according to the handout. In females, it causes an infection to the cervix or urethra, but oftentimes goes unnoticed because it is mild. The infection can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing infertility, according to the handout. An antibiotic that can treat both gonorrhea and chlamydia is prescribed because it is hard to tell the difference between the two diseases, according to the handout. "Students are always welcome to come in [and be tested]," Davis said. "I wouldn't classify [STDs] as our most common disease, though."
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