The Student Wellness Center at RPAC no longer offers free STI testing.Credit: Brooke Tacsar | Lantern Reporter
Due to capacity limitations at local clinics in Columbus, the Student Wellness Center will no longer offer free HIV or STI testing for students.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Wellness Center, with its trained students and staff, and associate director Arianna Camel, was dedicated to treating sexually transmitted infections and the human immunodeficiency virus, which attacks the body’s immune system and fights AIDS. We were able to offer free testing for both viruses. A representative from the Student Wellness Center said:
Camel said free sexually transmitted disease and HIV testing will return to the center in April 2022, with about 300 students using the service year-round with the help of outside clinics such as Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It is said that it is using It was removed this year because health systems have limited staff and lack of funding since COVID-19, which has reduced the response capacity of local health communities.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Camel said. “It’s a place where we can meet and serve the needs of health and human services professionals across the community.”
Although testing is no longer available, the Student Wellness Center offers students free lift passes to nearby testing centers including Equitas Health, Columbus Public Health, Out of the Closet, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Then Mr. Camel spoke.
To receive a ride to and from these locations, Cammell said students can email their free Lyft voucher to the Student Wellness Center.
The Student Wellness Center said it no longer offers testing at its offices located within RPAC, but is working to provide an updated list of local centers that offer free walk-in testing or testing by appointment. Ta.
“It’s not that we don’t want to do it, it’s just that our partners don’t have the capacity.” [and] It makes sense,” Camel said. “Health care workers remain overworked.”
According to the Student Wellness Center website, free testing is no longer offered at the Student Wellness Center office, but students can still get an HIV or STI test at Student Health Services. However, this service does come at a cost, but it is covered by insurance.
“we, [free testing] We recognize that it is an absolute necessity for our campus,” Cammell said.
Sidney Hekeler, a third-year student and executive director of the Ohio State Sexual Health Awareness Student Advocacy Group, said the organization believes the lack of free testing for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV on campus is having a negative impact on students’ sexual health. He said he feels it will give.
“[The STI and HIV testing] It’s definitely a program that will be greatly missed,” Heckler said. “One of the questions he gets asked a lot when he’s sitting at the table and when he’s with students on campus is where can he get an STI? [and HIV] Under test. ”
Professor Heckler said that while it was disappointing that free testing was not available, the university had excelled in its collaboration with organizations and its willingness to work towards alternative solutions to sexual health.
“They’re still doing really well and honestly they’re getting better.” [job] Probably more than most other universities,” Heckler said.
Camel said that prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Student Wellness Center offered free testing Monday through Friday, but mostly through other students and staff. It is said that he was
