Being from a generation of gay people — and just sexually active people in general — who came of age after the AIDS crisis, I would like to think that regular STD testing and HIV testing would be ubiquitous. However, it’s come to my attention that many people not only don’t get tested regularly, but haven’t been tested at all.
Living in Brooklyn this summer, and especially being active in the gay community, I constantly hear people talking about how recently they were tested, which free clinic they went to and what the cross streets were for the nearest HIV test site.
In the Triple Cities, we aren’t afforded the same luxuries of a testing site every few blocks with expansive walk-in hours and top-quality condoms to take with you, but that isn’t to say there aren’t still loads of options for you to get your next STD test in Binghamton.
First and foremost: as students you are most likely on campus quite often, and if you are anything like me, you have an excess of free time. Why not schedule an appointment to ensure that you’re all clear? Ideally one should be tested in between each new sexual partner or, at the very least, annually. Unfortunately, Decker Student Health Services is currently outdated, and slightly discouraging. For starters, they do not offer STD testing during their daily walk-in hours — only by appointment.
Health services only offers HIV testing on Wednesday mornings, by appointment, which will conflict with class schedules for many students. If you’re not showing any symptoms for STDs, your round of testing may not be free. The question of “Free or Fee?” is not clearly answered on the health services website either; the only clear answer on what will require a fee is HIV testing. For a school that pretends to be in the know of its growing student population, it’s very obvious the school doesn’t know what its student body really needs.
In 2012, a similar article ran in Pipe Dream calling out the same exact issues with health services. Now, three years later, not much has changed, except 5,000 more students and an increased risk of coming in contact with an STD. Luckily, health services isn’t the only option we have for our testing needs. The Broome County Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic, located on Front Street, is available for walk-in patients on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment on other days, and offers the full spectrum of tests, including HIV. For those who can afford to pay, some tests require a fee, but anyone who cannot afford the fees will not be denied service.
There is also Planned Parenthood on Hawley Street that has options for lower-payment plans for the uninsured, The Southern Tier AIDS program that offers completely free HIV/AIDS testing (with rapid results) and others in the area that can be found through organizations like the Youth Aids Coalition, which can be used to find testing sites nationwide.
In 2015, people cannot be afraid to stay up-to-date on their sexual health. HIV and AIDS aren’t gone. Sexually transmitted diseases are still spreading, and as the University grows, so does the number of uninformed, newly sexually active students that need to realize their responsibility. Practicing safe sex and communicating with your partners are only baby steps.