Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Keeping the funk off of your junk
by Cherise Fantus
click to enlarge
It's time to talk about staying healthy — ahem — down there.
College is a time of experimentation: different clothes, hairstyles, friends, interests, and, of course, sexual partners. Whether you're having sex for the first time or trying to set a world record, it's important to be responsible and stay healthy.
Condoms, dental dams and female condoms will help protect you from sexually transmitted diseases and are available from your doctor, school health center, Planned Parenthood (3480 Centennial Blvd.; 3958 N. Academy Blvd., #108; plannedparenthood.org) or your local drugstore. Birth control pills, patches and several other forms help prevent pregnancy and are available at the above locations, minus the drugstore.
Even if you take all the proper precautions, it's still possible to pick up an STD. Get tested regularly — symptoms don't always present themselves, so catching your problem early and getting it treated as soon as possible will ensure that your junk won't fall off. (That probably won't happen, but it's better not to take chances.)
Testing and treatment options are available at your student health center, and are completely confidential. If you want to go off-campus, Planned Parenthood offers STD testing and treatment and pregnancy testing. Walk-ins are welcome, though appointments are appreciated.
You can also walk into the Any Lab Test Now site (7824B N. Academy Blvd., anylabtestnow.com) and get a full panel of STD testing, or just test for specific diseases. Results are usually available within three to four days.
Low-income students can go to Peak Vista Community Health Centers (225 S. Union Blvd., peakvista.org), where treatment and testing charges come on a sliding scale, based on the patient's income.
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