One in four college students have a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Without getting tested, and often with no symptoms showing for weeks to months, students could be passing STDs to other students without even knowing it.
Many high school health classes only teaching abstinence instead of safe sex practices, so students come to college without the knowledge of how to protect themselves and the importance of being tested. With a regular hookup culture seen on campus, it is important to talk to your partners about their past, when they were last tested and, most importantly, getting tested yourself.
Being tested is the only way to know 100% that you are STD free and should be done every 6 months to once a year. This can easily be done at your doctor’s office. Going to get tested at your regular doctor may be difficult while in school or may be something that you do not feel comfortable having done with your normal doctor. Many may not want their insurance to be billed if they are still on their parents plan because then their parents will get the bill and see the charges. This can be due to parents seeing that they have been tested when they do not know about their sex life. This is where Planned Parenthood is important.
(Photo courtesy of Kindle Project)
Planned Parenthood provides high-quality healthcare and will not turn anyone away for any reason – even financial. Through Planned Parenthood, an appointment can easily be made online. After filling out paperwork, if it is the first visit, you can be tested for all STDs with some easy and painless tests with results in a short couple of days.
At Planned Parenthood, patients do not need to use their insurance; so, if they do not want their parents to know their sexual health, they do not need to. Through Title X, a federal grant program, money goes towards family planning and related preventative health services meaning that while you may not be using your insurance, you will be placed on a pay scale based on employment and income so you will not have to pay the full charge of getting tested.Â
With Planned Parenthood constantly being put on the stake for their abortion services, they do more than just that. De-funding Title X, which does not cover abortions, because of the abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood ultimately takes away the advantages that they provide to low-income or uninsured patients. Planned Parenthood does more than provide abortion services, such as STD testing, birth control, general health care, pregnancy testing and services. This makes Planned Parenthood a vital resource not just for students to get STD tested but for everyone.
(Photo courtesy of Planned Parenthood)
Website to Athens Planned Parenthood:
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/ohio/athens/45701/athens… Â
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