STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELING SERVICES PROMOTE SAFER SEX
NANCY ROSSIGNOL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER
Students, faculty and staff gathered in Library Plaza on Thursday afternoon to play games with names like “Guess the Lubes,” “Name that STD” and “How to put on a Condom.” Laughter and tongue-in-cheek humor replaced embarrassing or uncomfortable subject matter as Student Health and Counseling Services sponsored the National Condom Day and Safer Sex Fair on Feb. 10, which ran from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) invited a variety of organizations to participate in the event, and more than a dozen tables displayed informational pamphlets, sexual enhancement aids, magazines, brochures, and condoms. There were colorful condoms of many sizes and shapes; there were flavored condoms and even some that were contorted into artwork.
National Condom Day is a part of the American Social Health Association’s (ASHA) recognition of February as National Condom Month—emphasizing the importance of condom use in reducing transmission risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to the ASHA, there are approximately 19 million new cases of STIs every year in the United States, about half of which occur among youth ages 15-24.
“Promoting safe sex is a positive thing,” Ethan Boyer, a junior, commented Thursday after learning it was National Condom Day.
“It’s good to educate [students] on their sexual health,” human development major Celeste Tenchavez said Thursday after visiting the event.
Each semester, student tuition includes a mandatory $70 health services fee. This fee entitles all regularly enrolled students, part-time or full-time, to health services provided through SHCS: clinic visits, counseling services, flu shots and other vaccines, women’s health exams and more. Tuition also includes a $25 health facilities fee that pays for rent and maintenance of the SHCS clinic at PPH, located across the street from campus at 120 Craven Road, Suite 100.
Students may consult with a doctor, nurse practitioner, nurse, counselor, or the health educator. Visits to the clinic or counselor require no co-payment. Minimal fees are charged for psychiatric services, certain physical exams, laboratory or radiology tests, and prescriptions. According to their website, SHCS “strive[s] to promote services and health education designed to prevent and resolve health problems that may interfere with student retention and success.” With that goal in mind, SHCS sponsors events each semester. Coming up on Feb. 22 at noon in Mark 102 is Ask the SEXperts, the first in a series of informational sessions on sexual health issues. Guest speakers will give the curious but shy an opportunity to ask questions in complete anonymity.
Cathy Nguyen said she enjoys working in a “nontraditional environment” as Health Educator for SHCS. One of the reasons SHCS offers their services to students is because it is important for students to have access to free medical care, Nguyen said. “This is my passion,” she added. Nguyen’s job title describes her duty to educate students about health issues and healthy lifestyle choices, but the job itself encompasses a wide range of tasks from organizing events to helping students with class projects. Nguyen’s office is located in the Hope and Wellness Center at 120 Craven Road, Suite 108, next door to the SHCS clinic.
Students can schedule an appointment for SHCS services by calling 760-750-4915 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. For more information, visit the SHCS website at csusm.edu/shcs/index.html.