Editorial: Be safe, get tested
You owe it to yourself and your partner to check for STIs
Did you hook up with someone during Valentine’s Day weekend?
If so, we hope you practiced safe sex.
If you didn’t use protection, it’s probably time to get tested.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections diagnosed each year are among young people 15–24 years old.
That’s us.
One in every four college students has some type of STI, according to nursingschools.net.
Unfortunately, many students never get tested during their four or more years at the university.
We recommend every student get tested once a year whether they have been sexually active.
About a year ago, Central Michigan University stopped offering sexually transmitted infection testing for free on campus. This does not mean you should not get yourself checked. STI testing is still available at Foust Hall Health Services, McLaren Central Michigan hospital and the Central Michigan District Health Department.
Some young people are afraid of the stigma attached to contracting an STI.
Let’s set the record straight on this.
Getting an STI does not mean you are a bad person or have loose morals. It only means your reproductive organs need medicine to recover from a disease.
Not addressing the possibility of an issue puts your health at risk, and the health of any sexual partner you have.
The absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean you are STI-free, either.
Some STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can have delayed gestation periods and lay dormant in your reproductive system for weeks or months.
If you think you might have an STI, get it taken care of before it gets worse.
If you are not proactive in taking care of yourself, other people will be negatively affected by your inaction.
Thankfully, our campus community is home to at least one group working toward spreading the message of responsible sexual behavior.
They’ve even put boots on the ground to try to help students.
Members of CMU’s Safer Sex Patrol often walk around bars in Mount Pleasant and the residence halls passing out condoms.
If you encounter these helpful Chippewas, use what they give you. They are saving you money and perhaps some serious consequences later in life.
We urge you to remember contraceptives are a useful and necessary tools. The “plan B pill,” as it is commonly referred to, is a great combatant to an unwanted pregnancy.
Before you have sex with someone, have an honest conversation about whether either of you have been tested.
It might feel a little awkward.
But we promise it will be a much more comfortable feeling than having to explain to that person you’ve been diagnosed with an STI and they should get tested too.
If a would-be partner tells you he or she has not been tested, having sex with them is simply not worth the risk.
Personal health is important for every sexually-active student to keep in mind.
The hook-up culture present at almost every college campus in America is something most of us take part in.
All we ask is that if you decide to get intimate with someone, please do so responsibly.
