by Erin Raterman
DailyLobo
One in four college students has chlamydia, according to a 2001 survey conducted at UNM, and college-aged people are at greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases than any other members of the population.
So far this year, 10 UNM students have tested positive for chlamydia and 37 tested positive for the disease in 2001, according to Liz Vickers, a peer consultant at the Student Health Center.
Vickers said chlamydia, often called the silent STD, can show no symptoms in women or men infected with the disease.
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"Chlamydia is spread from person to person by close physical contact during vaginal, anal and oral sex," Vickers said
She added that because of the stigma attached to STDs in general students feel discouraged to seek treatment.
"Make an appointment because it's better to know, it's not a scary disease and things can be done to lessen symptoms," she said.
Vickers added that diagnosis and treatment of STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia are usually painless and relatively cheap.
Untreated chlmydia can cause infertility in both men and women.
"Students don't have enough knowledge about treatable STIs," Vickers said.
Vickers prefers to use the term STIs, which stands for Sexually Transmitted Illnesses. She feels STI has less negative connotation than the term STD.
She said that many UNM students are unaware of the high rates of sexually transmitted illnesses on campus.
"They are busy experiencing the college environment, so students don't think about condoms and preventable measures," said Shirlee James-Johnson, the Student Health Center's Health Education Manager.
Many students have more knowledge about fatal STDs such as AIDS than chlamydia and gonorrhea, which are more likely to effect students, James-Johnson said.
It is estimated that 3 million Americans are infected with chlamydia every year. By the age of 30, 50 percent of sexually active women have evidence that they have been infected with chlamydia at some time during their lives, according to studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control.
Two-thirds of all STDs occur in people 25 years old or younger according to the American Social Health Organization, which puts college-aged students most at risk for contracting the disease.
Vickers said that the UNM Student Health Center offers treatment for STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis all for under $30.
Students who seek treatment can receive help the same day they come into the health center and examination usually takes less than 20 minutes, Vickers said.
The Student Health Center also offers HIV and vaginal infection testing.
A new urine test is available at the health center for chlamydia and syphilis; however it is more expensive than the tradition pelvic exam.
Because chlamydia is a bacterial infection it can be easily treated with antibiotics.
The Student Health Center also offers consultation on sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptives and rape through a service called Peer Consultants available on campus.
Peer Consultants is a free student run service that raises awareness about prevention and treatment of STDs, and bridges the gap between students and the professionals who treat sexually transmitted diseases.
Open panel discussions about STDs, called "Coffee Talk", are currently being held at the health center.
"Coffee Talk," which was started last semester, is designed to provide students with a comfortable environment to talk about STDs and provide research and statistics about the diseases.
Vickers, the creator of "Coffee Talk," is planning the next event for April 17. Peer Consultants is also making plans to raise STD awareness in honor of National STD Awareness Month on April 18.
