(ERIN KILLINGER | The Miami Student)
It's no secret that hookups, dating and relationships can be a big part of the college experience. But some actions can have consequences: from a broken condom to a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Rumors may abound and separating fact from fiction about sex on campus seems nearly impossible.
For an anonymous Miami University senior who has been tested for STIs, Miami is not the kind of school where STIs are rampant and sexual education is lacking.
"Kids at Miami seem responsible, "she said. "At Miami, the students who come here have had a lot of sex and health education."
However, the office manager of HAWKS Peer Health Educators, senior Ashlinn Kipp, said many students are afraid to talk about STIs.
"There's definitely a negative connotation for STIs," she said. "People aren't educated and we try to get the word out there."
Plan B One-Step, or the morning–after pill, is a one-pill emergency contraceptive, according to Plan B's website. It is an emergency contraceptive used after unprotected sex or if a protection method fails.
Oxford CVS Pharmacy technician Kristen Hertel said she has seen a big increase in the use of Plan B in the four years she has worked at the pharmacy. According to Hertel, CVS stocks 15 to 20 single-use boxes of the emergency contraceptives at a time, most of which are bought every weekend. Weekends are the most popular for Plan B purchases, she said.
"The numbers (of boxes purchased) increase once students come back," she said.
Miami Student Health Service's pharmacist Mary Poppendeck said students can often purchase Plan B or birth control at a lower price at Miami than through a student's insurance company.
"The prices are low because the insurance co-pays might be higher than what we charge," she said.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
According to Poppendeck, birth control may be as low as $20 because pharmaceutical companies give the university a discount.
The danger of STIs
Unprotected sex can also result in a sexually-transmitted infection, or STI. These are passed by body fluid contact. According to the Student Health Center's Medical Director, Gregory Calkins, STIs can be dangerous for different reasons.
"Gonorrhea can cause arthritis, chlamydia can result in sterility, herpes can be dangerous to a new-born and syphilis can eat away at tissue and affect your brain," he said.
While these may be frightening facts, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are easy to treat if found early, Calkins said.
By the numbers
Since 2011, SHS has reported 20 cases of chlamydia, 14 cases of genital herpes, no cases of gonorrhea and five cases of syphilis. HPV cases have more than doubled from 2008 to 2009.
According to the American College Health Association's Data Survey for 2009, college males nationwide consistently tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea at double the rate of females. For example, of those females who were tested for chlamydia, 3.5 percent tested positively, as opposed to 7.1 percent of males who tested positively. Since 2011 at Miami, 12 males have tested positively for chlamydia, while eight women have tested positively.
Does this mean more men have STI's?
Not necessarily, according to the Calkins.
"Men hold off more, "he said. "If they really feel a threat, they come in. There's a certain amount of machismo with getting checked — they might have to be pushed."
Another reason men may appear to have higher STI rates is because there is no male equivalent to a pap smear, which is an annual STI check-up for women.
Calkins said more women are getting checked for the human papillomavirus (HPV), which accounts for the jump in cases at the SHS.
"More recently, it has become more serious," he said. "Now it's clear certain strains can lead to cervical cancer."
Kipp said male students are very hesitant to discuss STIs.
"The vast majority of the people (at our health programs) are females," she said. "The boys I have been around don't take it seriously. Girls take it more personally."
Kipp said HAWKS has education programs that can be requested by resident assistants (RAs). Most of their programs are requested by first-year residence hall RAs. She said HAWKS has recognized the need for more men's health education.
"We are creating a special campaign for men's wellness for this year," Kipp said.
Despite the jump in HPV cases, Miami's STI numbers remain stable when compared to campuses nation-wide, Calkins said.
Calkins said Miami's STI statistics make it lower-than-average for reported cases, as compared to other universities.)
"We have decent awareness of it," he said. "Religious colleges might have a lower number (of STIs)."
Hidden hazard
While chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most commonly-reported STIs, other infections threaten students' health.
According to Calkins, hep atitis C is a relatively new strain of hepatitis, a swelling and inflammation of the liver, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
"Hepatitis A is more food-related, but not as severe as B and C, which are more sexually-transmitted," Calkins said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, many people don't know they have hepatitis C until they are tested years later. It is spread through contaminated blood.
"Hepatitis B and C can be passed sexually, but are not checked routinely," Calkins said. "Both patient and clinician don't emphasize it (when testing), it takes extra time and costs extra money."
In 2010, 10,615 Ohioans tested positively for hepatitis C — an increase of almost 23 percent since 2005, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
According to Calkins, hepatitis C has no vaccine and there is no specific treatment.
"I recommend getting tested for all — hepatitis A, B and C," he said.
Winning the HIV war
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a dangerous and life-threatening STI. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HIV weakens the immune system. There is no cure for HIV.
However, the HIV statistics at Miami are very low. According to the Ohio Department of Health, only 13 college-age people (ages 15 to 24) have AIDS in Butler County. At the SHS, a potential three-step screening process helps patients save money. If the first test comes back positive, a patient undergoes a second confirmation test. If this test is positive, the third test is absolute proof the patient is HIV positive, Calkins said.
Calkins said the number of HIV cases reported nation-wide in 2010 has been decreasing for the first time in 15 years.
"This is a small comfort for a deadly disease, but we can't forget about it," he said.
Healthy is sexy
For the SHS, checking students for STIs is business as usual.
"No one should be embarrassed. No one should hesitate to come it," Calkins said.
Calkins recommends every sexually-active student get checked regularly.
"You really can't gauge if the person you were with was OK," he said. You can't assume someone is disease-free."
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.