Sexually transmitted diseases previously not found on campus are now showing up. “Since I’ve been here I think we’ve had two positive cases of Gonorrhea,” said Larisa Semenuk, Clinical Manager since November at University Health Services. “I’ve already, myself, [seen] three positive cases [of chlamydia].” Even low numbers like three or four can be worrying because those who know they are infected could have slept with any number of other people who do not know about the disease.
University Health Services (UHS) is actively working to prevent the spread of STDs through education and testing. Attempts to educate students have had mixed results. Programming aimed at students living in the dorms at times goes completely unattended, and other times has excellent turnouts. According to Semenuk Residential Life will be coordinating an interdepartmental peer education program, which will train students to “go out and do programs about things like safe sex, acquaintance rape, safe drinking and healthy relationships.”
USM currently employs no Health Educator due to budget constraints. Condoms and a variety of informative pamphlets are available for free at both UHS stations.
Of the 2,872 students served last year, all were offered STD testing. According to data gathered by Patricia Ciampi, of University Health Services, they did 187 Chlamydia tests, 168 gonorrhea tests, and 13 herpes tests.
“The problem is that it’s expensive,” said Larisa Semenuk, “And we know that. We don’t want it to be, but it’s how much NorDx is charging us.” NorDx is a Maine-based company that provides laboratory testing for STDs and other diseases. To test for both chlamydia and gonorrhea, an uninsured student pays $70. Some healthcare professionals recommend testing every six months for all sexually active people between the ages of 20 and 29.
New diagnoses of several STDs in Maine have increased drastically from 2002 to 2003, with the most affected populations ranging in age from 15 to 29 years old depending on the disease.
National studies have shown that up to 70 percent of college students are, or have been, sexually active. The studies also indicate that many of these students have more than one sexual partner in four years. This increases the risk of transmission of diseases since many of the diseases have long dormant periods where the carrier (one who is infected with the disease) may not even be aware of having it. A study of 6,000 college students concluded that 19 percent have at some point been diagnosed with an STD. This is approximately one in every five college students.
According to the Maine Bureau of Health between the years 2002 and 2003 Chlamydia diagnoses rose 13 percent to 2040 reported cases. People 24 and younger count for 77 percent of all cases reported for 2003 in Maine. Over the same time period people under 30 diagnosed with HIV jumped from 18 new diagnoses to 31, an increase of 72 percent (the HIV statistics include both sexually transmitted cases and cases involving intravenious drug usage). Gonorrhea increased 63 percent for a total of 231 reported cases in Maine with slightly fewer then 50 percent of all cases occurring in adults between the ages of 20 and 29.
The average student age at USM is 27 and this places the university population in some of the most affected groups. According to Semenuk, USM is a microcosm which reflects Maine’s STD infection increases.
Joseph Thompson can be contacted at [email protected]