STDs often ignored on college campuses

While anyone who engages in unsafe sex has the potential to contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD), college students may have a higher risk of ending up with one of these infections than the rest of the population. As part of its college health and safety page, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges students to get themselves screened regularly by their healthcare provider and use condoms for every sexual encounter to prevent the spread of STDs.

Recently, The A and T Register, a North Carolina A and T State University news source, reported on the fact that one out of every two sexually active college students is expected to contract an STD by the age of 25. The information provider spoke to employees of the school's health center to see what they believe should be done to combat STDs on college campuses.

"We should work on changing behaviors," said Yvonne Parks, nurse supervisor at Sebastian Health Center, quoted by the news source. "We should work on educating our students more about taking care of themselves and what causes these STDs. That’s the thing that we need to get to our students and get them to understand."

Some college students may mistakenly believe that there are no STDs that can be transmitted through oral sex or gential to genital contact, but they would be incorrect. This is why it's important to educate students on all of the ways that these infections can be spread, so that they know how to effectively protect themselves and whether they need to visit an STD testing center in Greensboro.

Kaye Ziglar, University Health Educator at Sebastian Health Center, told the news source that the school does not do much to raise awareness about sexual health, and that more should be done to stress the importance of taking responsibility for sexual actions.