Searching for sexual health resources
In a recent search for sexual testing, I decided to check Weber State University’s website in an effort to understand the sexual health resources and services our campus clinic offers.
Currently, it looks like the Student Health Center provides chlamydia and gonorrhea testing for $35 each, pregnancy tests that are free and herpes culture testing for $65. These current services leave a large gap in student sexual health.
The Student Health Center provides no mention of HIV testing, PrEP medication, HPV vaccinations or simple family planning courses.
However, the center does carry contraceptives and performs routine women’s health check-ups. They perform pap smears and are willing to help students with any questions regarding sexual health.
In comparison, the University of Utah offers completely free HIV/STI testing for the fall semester (WSU costs $35 each) while also providing sexual health supplies and additional info on any further resources needed.
Brigham Young University offers a family planning class that contains information on contraception, male and female anatomy discussion and preparation for intercourse. The entire class costs students $10.
Utah State University offers a myriad of sexual health services for their students, including HPV vaccinations, sexual conseling, pap smears, IUD placements and care for any gyneological problems.
Southern Utah University offers free condoms and pregnancy tests to students. While SUU does not host an on-campus clinic, they do provide a plethora of detailed resources to get you the answers you need.
Lastly, Utah Valley University provides their students with pap smears, contraception and a complete HIV/STI testing panel.
A 2018 review of Weber’s Student Health Center shared that only 13% of students on campus take advantage of the clinic’s services. It makes me wonder if upgrading our sexual health resources and advertising them more would help the amount of students using their facility.
The rate for sexually-transmitted infections continues to grow each year and according to the CDC close to half of the 20 million STIs reported in 2018 were people aged 15-24 years old.
If you’re a student and looking for sexual health help that the Student Health Center can’t provide, Planned Parenthood of Utah is just down the street from campus and offers an extensive list of low-cost or free services and resources to our community.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
This story has been edited to reflect the correct resources from The Student Health Center.
Heather Mansfield • Sep 19, 2022 at 11:38 am
I am a student at Weber State University and I can honestly say that I’m bothered about the way the Student Health Center is perceived in this article. Not only is this article misleading, but it does not provide correct information. I have utilized the Student Health Center for multiple reasons. I know that they provide excellent care and resources for students. I personally have filled my birth control prescription at the Student Health Center, and I find it interesting that it is listed in the article that there are no contraceptive options for the students. According to Merriam-Webster the definition of a contraceptive is, “deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation.” If I am not mistaken, that is what birth control does. The Student Health Center provided that for me at no cost. Along with this, there are condoms placed in the Student Health Center, in the bathrooms, for students to discreetly take or they can ask the front desk for condoms at no cost to the student. There are also pap smears, gynecological assistance, and reproductive healthcare options at the Student Health Center. I find that the lack of research that was done for this article is very disturbing. There are students at Weber State University that do not have any other resources they are able to use, besides the Student Health Center, because of multiple reasons like lack of health insurance. This article can leave the impression with these types of students that there are no other options for them. I would love to see a follow up article with the corrections in place. I encourage students to please check out the website for themselves. The website is easy to follow. I was able to find the list of services offered and scope of practice in a few clicks. It also does not state that the author took the time to interview anyone from the Student Health Center. If the time was taken to do proper research on this subject, this whole article would be written differently and give people actual fact that would benefit the students rather than try to take a good resource away.
Ulises Lopez • Sep 15, 2022 at 1:27 pm
A lot of this information is wrong. They offer a lot of women’s healthcare like Pap smears, birth control and they do give condoms as well. Either you gotta ask for condoms, they’re in the candy bowl at the front desk, or in the bathroom as well.