The Health Education office is an UConn/Storrs campus spot to get a free and anonymous Rapid HIV/AIDS test through the support of Planned Parenthood which allows for results to be known within the half-hour!
The schedule for the Spring 2012 semester is:
Monday, February 13 1pm-3pm
Monday, March 26 1pm-3pm
Monday, April 16 1pm-3pm
This test is free of charge and open to all, however there are approximately 6 spots available per day of testing! No appointments will be taken due to the need for anonymity. Arrive early because testing is first come, first served. Numbers will be given out to individuals and people need to wait in the Health Education Office for testing. If a person leaves the office and their number is called, we can substitute another person at our discretion. If a person misses their opportunity to get tested because they need to leave, they can be tested on another day that we or the Rainbow Center offer testing.
The Health Education office is located in South Rome hall on the ground floor of the building with the cafeteria. For more information, please call Joleen Nevers at 486-0772.
If you are unable to attend the testing dates that Health Education is offering, below is information about testing at the Rainbow Center.
The Rainbow Center is the UConn/Storrs campus spot to get a free and anonymous Rapid HIV/AIDS test which allows for results to be known within the half-hour! The test is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective (http://www.hglhc.org) and open to all, however there are only a few slots! No appointments will be taken due to the need for anonymity. Arrive early because first come, first served. The Rainbow Center is located in Room 403 on the fourth floor of the Student Union. Also, there is free HIV testing at your local department of health. You can consult http://www.hivtest.org/ for test sites in your area.
Thursday, February 2 6pm-9pm
Thursday, March 1 6pm-9pm
Thursday, April 5 6pm-9pm
Thursday, May 3 6pm-9pm
Sexuality Choices
Choosing NOT to be sexually active
Many students choose to not be sexually active. There are a variety of reasons why a person may abstain from vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Listed below are some of the reasons for abstaining:
Wanting to wait until a person is in a serious, committed relationship or married/civil union.
Abstaining is the only 100% way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS.
Life may be very busy with other commitments such as sports, job, course load.
Protecting self from emotional hurt.
Not feeling ready for a sexual relationship.
Religious/spiritual reasons.
Just because a person has had sex in the past does not mean that the person has to remain sexually active. A person can choose to not be sexually active if they end a relationship, feel too pressured to be engaging in sex, or don't feel ready, amongst other reasons.
Choosing to be sexually active
If a person decides to be sexually active, he/she needs to be aware of risks that they encounter such as STDs and/or pregnancy. Students can practice safer sex and reduce their risks by:
Using condoms, dental dams or female condoms correctly and consistently every time they engage in sex.
Getting tested for STDs, although this may not guarantee that a person or a partner is STD free.
Limiting sexual partners.
Getting to know a partner and asking about their sexual history.
Being in a committed monogamous relationship.*
Use another form of contraception such as pill or Depo Provera (shot) in addition to condoms, recognizing that they are great to reduce risk of pregnancy, but offer no protection against STDs.
*Monogamy, by definition means the practice of having one sexual partner for a lifetime. Serial monogamy is to have one sexual partner at one time but could have many throughout a lifetime.
Communication is important in all relationships. Ineffective sexual communication is a common reason for people feeling dissatisfied with their sex lives.
How can you be a good communicator?
Good communication requires you to be an effective communicator and an active listener.
Some tips to be a good communicator:
Be an active listener - actively communicate to your partner that you are listening to him or her and you are interested in what he or she is saying.
Maintain eye contact.
Provide feedback - provide a reaction to your partner's message in words. This will help clarify his or her message and show that you were actively listening.
Support your partner's communication efforts - this will help relieve fear and anxiety from your partner and help build communication skills for both partners.
Use paraphrasing - the listener summarizes a speaker's message in his or her own words.
Ask questions - find out what your partner's needs are with open-ended questions such as "where do you like to be touched" instead of "was I gentle enough".
There is also nonverbal communication. Examples of nonverbal communication are a touch, a smile, facial expressions, interpersonal space, and sounds such as moaning.
Adapted from Your Contraceptive Choices by Planned Parenthood. There are many types of contraception available. This page is only intended to give a brief comparison of the different types. Please follow the link above to Planned Parenthood for more information.
Abstinence is not engaging in vaginal, anal or oral sex. It is 100% effective in the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and pregnancy. There are no medical or hormonal side effects. However it may be difficult for some people to abstain from sex.
Withdrawal is when the male will pull his penis out of the vagina before ejaculation to prevent sperm from joining the egg. This method requires great self-control, experience, and trust. You must wipe the pre-ejaculatory fluid from the penis before entering partner. It is not for men who ejaculate prematurely, do not know when to pull out, or are sexually inexperienced. Although this information is provided, Health Education does not endorse or recommend withdrawal due to its high failure rate.
Rhythm method is when a professional teaches you how to chart your menstrual cycle and to detect certain physical signs to help you predict when you are ovulating. Then you use another form of contraception on those "unsafe" days or abstain from sex during those days. This method requires months of training before effective use. Illness and lack of sleep effect body temperature.
Condom is a thin latex, plastic, or animal tissue sheath that is used to cover the penis before intercourse. If the condom is latex or polyurethane it can help to prevent against pregnancy and STDs when used correctly. There are many sizes and shapes available to find the most comfortable one for you.
The Diaphragm is a shallow latex cup that is fitted by a clinician and it is inserted in the vagina before intercourse. It is 80-94% effective in preventing pregnancy and can last several years with no major health concerns. It can be messy and should only be left in place for up to 24 hours.
Cervical Cap is a thimble-shaped latex cap that is fitted by a clinician and it is inserted in the vagina before intercourse. It can last several years with no major health concerns. However it is difficult for some women to use and is only four sizes. The cervical cap can only be left in place for up to 48 hours.
Female Condom is a polyurethane sheath that is inserted deep in your vagina. It can be used by people allergic' to latex. It may be noisy and difficult to insert and can only be used once.
The Pill is prescribed by your clinician to take daily. The pill contains estrogen and progestin or projestin-only. The hormones work to prevent the release of egg, thicken cervical mucus to keep sperm from joining the egg, and prevent fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. The pill protects against ovarian and endometrial cancers, pelvic inflammatory disease, non-cancerous growths of the breast, ovarian cysts, and may protect against osteoporosis.
The Patch is a thin plastic patch that you place on the skin of the buttocks, stomach, upper outer arm or upper torso. You wear one patch each week for 3 weeks followed by the 4th week without the patch. The patch uses a combination of hormones (estrogen or progestin) that prevents the release of egg, thickens mucus to keep sperm from joining the egg, and prevents fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. It has the same risks and benefits of the pill except that it may cause an irritation of the skin.
The Ring is a small, flexible ring that you insert deep into the vagina. A new ring is inserted for three weeks followed by a week without the ring. The ring uses a combination of hormones (estrogen and progestin) that prevents the release of egg, thickens mucus to keep sperm from joining the egg, and prevents fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. It has the same risks and benefits of the pill except that it may cause an irritation to the vagina.
Morning After Pill (MAP) is designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected vaginal intercourse. High doses of hormonal pill started within 72 hours of unprotected sex. It reduces the risk of pregnancy 75-89%.
Intrauterine Device (IUD) is a small plastic and copper device that your clinician places in your uterus. The device contains hormone or copper that keeps sperm from joining the egg and prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in uterus.
Depo-Provera is a shot of the hormone progestin every 12 weeks by your clinician that prevents the release of eggs, thickens mucus to keep sperm from joining the egg, and prevents fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. Side effects may include loss of period, irregular bleeding, headaches, depression, abdominal pain and increased appetite. The side affects will not wear off until the medication wears off (12 weeks).
Sterilization Tubal sterilization is an operation that permanently blocks the woman's tubes where sperm join the egg. Vasectomy is an operation to permanently block man's tubes that carry sperm.
Abstinence is the only method that is 100% effective in the prevention of STDs and pregnancy.
Only a female condom and a latex or polyurethane condom may reduce the risk of STDs.
By the age of 24, one in three sexually active people will contract a STD.
Certain types of sexually acquired HPV (genital warts) are also now considered to be a cause of most cancers of the vagina vulva, anus, and penis. Although each of these cancers occurs less frequently than does cervical cancer, taken together they equal nearly half the number of cases of cervical cancer in the United States.
Chlamydia is so common that by the age of 30, 50% of sexually active women have evidence that they have had Chlamydia at some time during their life.
Nationwide, 45 million people ages 12 and over or 1 out of 5 adolescents and adults are infected with genital herpes.
According to American Social Health Association:
50-80% of adult population in the United States has oral herpes.
If a person with oral herpes performs oral sex, it is possible for the partner to get herpes on the genitals.
In the United States, HPV (genital warts) is considered to be the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). Some studies estimate that the majority of the sexually active population is exposed to at least one or more types of HPV - although most do not develop symptoms. Because HPV is so common and prevalent, a person does not need have to have a lot of sexual partners to come into contact with this virus.
The main difference between STDs is that some STDs are caused by bacteria and other STDs are caused by viruses. Bacterial STDs, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, are often cured with antibiotics. However, irreversible damage may occur if not treated promptly. Viral STDs have no cure, but some of their symptoms can be alleviated with treatment.
The following is a list of common STDs and information about them
STD
Viral or Bacterial
Symptoms
How Spread
Chlamydia
Bacterial
Discharge from the penis or vagina
Pain or burning while urinating
Excessive vaginal bleeding, swollen testicles, abdominal pain, nausea, fever, inflammation of the cervix or rectum.
However, about 80% of people experience no symptoms
Vaginal, anal and oral sex
Genital Warts (HPV)
Viral
Small, bumpy warts on the genitals and anus itching or burning around genitals. Some are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye and could lead to cancer.
Vaginal, anal, and oral sex
Skin to skin contact
Gonorrhea
Bacterial
Women - frequent urination often burning, pelvic or lower abdominal pain, menstrual irregularities, yellowish or greenish-yellow discharge from the vagina, swelling and tenderness of the vulva.
Men - pain during urination, pus-like drip from the urethra.
However, about 80% of people experience no symptoms.
Vaginal, anal, and oral sex
Hepatitis B
Viral
Fatigue, fever, headache, hives, vomiting, lack of appetite, nausea, tenderness in the lower abdomen, jaundice, dark urine
Present in semen, saliva, blood, and urine. Passed by contact such as kissing, oral, anal, and vaginal sex, sharing unclean needles.
Herpes
Viral
Flu-like feelings, small painful blisters on the penis, vagina, anus, upper thigh or mouth
Kissing, skin-to-skin contact, oral, anal, and vaginal sex
HIV/AIDS
Viral
Rapid weight loss, lack of appetite, flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, thrush, re-occurring yeast infections. Often no symptoms for up to 6 weeks.
Oral, vaginal, or anal sex, sharing needles, mother can pass the virus to her child through birth or breast feeding.
Syphilis
Bacterial
Reddish-brown sores on mouth, sex organs, breasts, or fingers, after sores a rash develops and flu-like symptoms. If left untreated syphilis can affect the nervous system which could result in death.
