Do It Right: The Importance of STI Screenings at SLU

Only 51 percent of SLU students have ever been tested for an STI in their lifetime, and only 33 percent have been tested for HIV. These statistics are from a survey I conducted for my SYE. People ages 15–24 are at a much higher risk for sexually transmitted infections and account for half of all new STIs annually.

So why get tested? For starters, untreated STI infections result in 24,000 women becoming infertile each year. Additionally, STIs such as Herpes and Syphilis make people up to 3 times more likely to contract HIV. These infections can lead to complications such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and, in some instances, death if left untreated.

Many students reported they would only get tested if they were experiencing symptoms, but STIs such as Chlamydia are often asymptomatic. According to the CDC, up to 90 percent of men and 70 percent of women never show symptoms while they have a Chlamydia infection. Contrary to popular belief, STIs can still be spread even if you don’t have symptoms of an infection. And don’t forget that STIs can be transmitted via intercourse, oral sex and, in some cases, just skin to skin contact.

In addition to being extremely common, these infections are also highly stigmatized. The majority of SLU students (63 percent) agreed that having an STI carried a stigma on our campus. STIs like herpes are especially stigmatized, and yet it is estimated that 80 percent of U.S. adults have been exposed to HSV-1, which is a virus responsible for both oral and genital herpes. Herpes is the butt of mainstream jokes, but the stigma surrounding this STI, as well as others (such as HIV), is seriously damaging. It deters people from seeking testing and from discussing their sexual health with partners.

This association is ultimately linked to gender roles, and the outdated yet persistent notion that women have a responsibility to keep themselves “clean” or “pure.”  The shame in STI status is due to the fact that these infections are directly linked to immorality; people who have STIs (particularly women) are seen as promiscuous and are shamed for both the infection and the assumed lifestyle that goes along with that.

Generally, women are more aware of their STI status than their male counterparts because of this pressure. At SLU, women seek STI screenings significantly more often than men, which is consistent with national trends.

Although the attitude toward sex and having multiple partners has somewhat changed, the stigma associated with STIs has remained largely unchanged. This stigma is noted as one of many barriers to accessing sexual health related care, and many researchers argue it may be the biggest deterrent for STI screenings in the U.S. SLU students themselves reported that fear of judgement from peers and embarrassment were among the top deterrents for getting tested.

Many STIs are curable or manageable with treatment, but the only way to know your status for sure is to get tested. April is STI Awareness onth, so there’s no better time than now! On May 1 ACR Health will be hosting a free STI testing event for SLU students, which is the perfect opportunity to do so.

ACR Health also has an office on Main Street in Canton, and facilities such as Planned Parenthood and the Dana Torrey Health Center provide STI screenings as well. One in two people will be infected with an STI by the time they are 25, so the importance of getting tested cannot be overstated.