As a college student you are invincible. You have the courage to engage in risky behavior. You might gamble. What are your chances in winning the lottery? One in a million? While winning millions of dollars is not likely, your probability is growing in contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
The Albany County Public Health clinic and Laramie Reproductive Health center have joined forces to begin the Condom Distribution Program to ensure young adults and college students engaged in sex are doing so safely without the risk of spreading STDs.
Ryan Kiser, a registered nurse at Albany County Public Health, is overseeing the program and its success in Laramie.
“The main goal,” said Kiser, “was to provide more availability and accessibility.”
The target group for this program is young adults who are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities such as unprotected sex.
“We went around to businesses, mainly bars, restaurants and other places known to have high populations of college students on a frequent basis,” said Kiser. “The biggest issues we had were certain businesses were concerned that the dispensers would be inappropriate for young children and families.”
Businesses that agreed to place these condom dispensers in their buildings are required to have an advertisement for knowwyo.org stating information about free testing and information.
“A benefit to these dispensers,” said Kiser, “is not only are students protected during sex, they are also exposed to knowwyo.org where they can find out about free STD testing as well as information about sexual awareness and health.”
A total of 17 dispensers have been up since October of 2013. Currently, the Wyoming Department of Health is distributing condoms and dispensers to other counties within the state.
Latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in 2009, just over 48 thousand cases of HIV infection were reported nationally.
As of 2011, the Wyoming Department of Health reported that 95 cases of people living with HIV and 97 cases were reported of those living with AIDS, according to AIDS United.
Knowwyo.org shows there are a myriad of STDs right here in Laramie. Statistics show that in 2010, there were less than five reported cases of gonorrhea, 120 cases of chlamydia, less than five cases of HIV, 17 reported cases of hepatitis C. The presence of herpes is so great, a definite number could not be reported.
To be informed about sexual health and STDs, it is important to confront common myths .
Gonorrhea
Myths
Gonorrhea cannot be transmitted from oral sex.
An untreated infection will “turn” into syphilis.
Gonorrhea is most common in older unmarried men.
You can get gonorrhea from a hot tub.
Truths
Gonorrhea is a serious STD and can be transmitted from any type of sex (anal, oral and vaginal).
In reality, when a person has one STD, it will not turn into something else. Each STD is a separate disease.
Teens have higher rates of gonorrhea than sexually active adults ages 20-44.
Chlamydia
Myths
Most people with chlamydia have some symptom alerting them to the infection.
Chlamydia cannot be treated or cured with antibiotics.
Having a burning sensation when urinating is not a huge cause for alarm. It could just be a minor infection.
1 in 20 adolescent girls tested for chlamydia is infected.
You can get chlamydia from a toilet seat
Truths
Chlamydia is known as a “silent disease” because up to 75% of infected women and up to 50% of infected men have no symptoms.
Up to 40% of women with untreated chlamydia may develop pelvic inflammatory disease.
Chlamydia can be treated and cured with antibiotics.
Any genital signs or symptoms or burning during urination or having an unusual sore or rash is a signal to stop having sex and to consult with a health care provider immediately.
1 in 17 young adults (ages 15-24) have Chlamydia in Wyoming.
Chlamydia is transmitted by unprotected oral, vaginal and anal sex, NOT a toilet seat.
HIV
Myths
Only gay men get HIV and AIDS.
30% of HIV infections are caused by injection drug use.
If you and your lover both have HIV, you don’t need to use condoms.
You can use bleach after having unprotected sex to prevent HIV infection.
You cannot have two STDs at once, including HIV.
Truths
HIV can affect anyone. Through unprotected oral, vaginal and anal sex, and exposure to blood (i.e. injection drug use or sharing needles). A mother can also infect her child during birth and through breast milk.
1 out of 10 new HIV infections is caused by injection drug use.
Different people have different strains of HIV, and HIV-positive people can re-infect each other. The medicine that you take formight not work against your partner’s strain.
Washing the genitals with bleach is dangerous and does not prevent HIV infection after having unprotected sex.
It is impossible to tell if people have HIV by looking at them. HIV and AIDS do not have any telltale symptoms.
You can have multiple STDs at a time. If you have just one other untreated STD, you are 10 times more likely to have HIV.
Hepatitis C
Myths
Hepatitis C is a sexually transmitted disease.
There are no effective treatments for hepatitis C.
Diet and exercise will not make a difference to your overall health if you have hepatitis C.
If you have hepatitis C, drinking several glasses of wine each day will not hurt your liver.
Hepatitis C can be spread by mosquitos.
Truths
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted by blood-to-blood exposure. Hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually but the risk is very low. Safer sex is recommended for people with risk factors for hepatitis C.
Today we have two FDA-approved treatments, which produce sustained virological response (SVR) rates up to 50% for people with genotype 1 and up to 80-90% for people with genotypes 2 and 3.
There is evidence that a healthy diet and exercise can keep the liver healthier and slow the progression of the disease.
Alcohol is potentially toxic to the liver. Experts recommend that people infected with hepatitis C refrain from drinking alcohol, or drink as little as possible.
No, you cannot get hepatitis from a mosquito bite. The results of experiments indicate that when an insect bites a person, it does not inject any previous blood into the next one bitten.
Herpes
Myths
Cold sores are just a lip infection and are not associated with herpes.
Genital herpes can make you sterile.
If you have genital herpes, you can never have sex again.
You can get herpes from toilet seats.
Truths
Cold sores are generally caused by herpes simplex type 1. This virus can also cause an initial outbreak of genital herpes if you have oral sex with someone who has a cold sore.
Genital herpes cannot make you sterile. However, other STDs can make you sterile, so your doctor should test for these infections if you are diagnosed with herpes.
While you should always use a condom for extra protection, you can still have sex if you have genital herpes. BUT you should avoid sexual contact if you have any sores (oral or genital) or symptoms.
The genital herpes virus is a fragile virus that dries out when it is exposed to air. There have been no proven cases of genital herpes transmission from a toilet seat.
The Albany County Public Health clinic and Ryan Kiser explained that in the future they hope that the Condom Dispensary Program will decrease the number of cases of STDs as well as provide a safer environment for students and those engaged in sexual activity.
A full list of Locations where the dispensaries are located can be found by calling Laramie Reproductive Health at (307) 745-5364.
