College of William and Mary announces availability of campus-based STD screenings

As a result of the growing number of college students with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), many campus organizations are raising awareness of the importance of practicing safe sex.

For example, the student assembly at the College of William and Mary recently approved the passing of the Student Health Act II, which will make STD testing available on campus during the 2010-2011 academic year. A total of $15,000 from the school will make screenings free for all of the school's enrollees, according to the college's newspaper.

Appointments can be made at the Student Health Center, and patients will be screened for several STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis and HIV.

Ryan Ruzic, a senior at the college, told the news source that "this is something that gives a real, important and potentially life-saving service to all the students of William and Mary."

The availability of free STD testing on college campuses can benefit students who are among the age groups considered to be at a high risk for contracting STDs. For example, for every 100,000 cases of chlamydia in the U.S., more than 4,200 are diagnosed in people aged 20 to 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.