STD testing available on campus

At the first utterance of sexually transmitted diseases, students might think of terms like chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV or AIDS. Students might also think of embarrassment, uneasiness or anxiety.

While this might be the case, the reality is that STDs are an undeniable element of life.

Other than abstinence, there are few guaranteed ways to stay away from STDs, but there are ways to be educated on their dangers, and on how to reduce the chances of being afflicted.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' website, Cape Girardeau County had 32 reported cases of chlamydia and 15 reported cases of gonorrhea in January of 2016.

The Redhawk Health Educators are Certified Peer Educators on campus who aim to help with health and wellness. The group holds programs that aim to give educational information to various organizations or clubs interested in learning more.

Redhawk Health Educators is sponsoring an STD Testing Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 13 at the Student Recreation Center-South. The testing is completely free and there is no need to register.

To ensure the privacy of all students, Sara Wagganer, the adviser for the Redhawk Health Educators and assistant director of fitness and wellness, said the south recreation center was chosen as a way to help students feel protected.

"We chose the south rec because typically people won't see you go in there," Wagganer said. "We wanted students to feel safe to come and get tested."

Wagganer said the health educators hosted the same event last spring in the south rec, and had around 48 students come to get tested, which was around what they were hoping for.

The STD Testing Day was scheduled for April to coincide with STD Awareness Month.

At noon today in the University Center Tribute Room, the Redhawk Health Educators also will host a discussion on STDs and birth control. A representative of Planned Parenthood will be present to have a discussion with students.

"I went to this talk last semester," Wagganer said. "As a 37-year-old mother of three, I learned more information about STDs and birth control than I had ever known. I thought I knew a lot, but there is so much more that I learned, and the people that gave this presentation were amazing."