STDs are on the rise

JESSIE HOLEVA STAFF WRITER JH734@CABRINI EDU

The number of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States is significantly rising and the college age group is the target. That honors student who tutors over in the SET building might have chlamydia. Or that really sweet guy you were with last Thursday, he might have given you something without even knowing he had a sexually transmitted disease. That’s the thing with STDs. It’s not common for someone to whisper their disease in your ear as they kiss your neck.

“Chlamydia is more common then the common cold on a college campus,” Mary Jo Rose, Cabrini’s associate nurse, said.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that spreads from oral, vaginal and anal sex. It can do permanent damage if not treated and often goes untreated because about 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men don’t show symptoms.

Dr. Louis Weinstein, the chairman of Ob Gyn at Thomas Jefferson University, is aware of the growth of STDs and chlamydia is the most common. Weinstein reasons it’s due to less condom use and more casual sex being practiced.

“The risks are multiplied with multiple partners,” Susan Fitzgerald, director of health services, said.

“There really is no safe sex, unless you trust you and your partner,” Weinstein said. He recommends being careful and selective and not only relying on condoms.

Greg Matarazzo, a junior English and communications major, knows people with STDs and feels the majority of Cabrini students having sex definitely do not practice safe sex, but should.

“In the heat of the moment I probably wouldn’t ask someone [if they have an STD],” Sarah Van Cleve, a freshman secondary education and chemistry major, said.

Van Cleve thinks the college age group feels unlikely to come in contact with an STD.

Tom Hayes, a sophomore history major, thinks only half the students engaging in sexual activity use a condom and if the school had condoms available unsafe sex would decrease.

Van Cleve agrees with Hayes in that there should be something for the students on campus.

Cabrini is a Catholic institution and does not condone premarital sex. Sexual activity is still practiced on campus, but for many students obtaining protection is an obstacle.

Freshman living in the dorms are prohibited from having a car on campus and many upper classmen are also without a vehicle. Not having condoms, however, doesn’t stop a significant amount of students from engaging in sex and other sexual acts which can lead to possibly becoming infected.

About 15 years ago the student government association tried to get condoms on campus but was denied. “Tell the students to lead the change [regarding having condoms on campus],” Rose said.

Health Services has had confidential HIV screening in the past. The office recommends using Planned Parenthood, which is a close by resource. Planned Parenthood asks every patient to be tested for STDs. The family planning council provides funding for those less than 25 years of age to be tested free of charge.

Debbie Stickney, a counselor at Planned Parenthood in Media, urges young people to get tested on a regular basis if sexually active. “It could save you from a lot of misery,” Stickney said.

Increasing Numbers of HIV Cases

It has been found that the number of people infected with HIV each year is higher than originally thought. The Center for Disease Control had originally reported that there was an average of 40,000 new HIV cases each year. Scientists have now discovered that the number is actually around 60,000. There new findings can be attributed to a test that can detect infection that occurred within the last five months. It is still unclear whether HIV infection is growing or is just a larger epidemic than originally thought. About a quarter of people infected with HIV do not know it and put off testing until there are visible symptoms.

No Guns for those with history of mental health problems

The FBI has more than doubled the list of people who cannot buy guns due to mental health problems. These actions were taken because of the shooting at Virginia Tech last April that resulted in the deaths of 32 people. The assailant Seung Hui Cho was found to be mentally ill by a court in 2005, but because he was never hospitalized, he was permitted to buy a gun. The amount of names on the FBI’s Mental Defective File has increased form 175,000 to 400,000.

Peace Talks between Israel and Syria

The United States and Russia are planning a peace conference with Israel and Syria in Moscow in 2008. The dispute between Israel and Syria is over the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is a boarder area that was captured by Israel during the war in 1967. The last attempt for peace talks between these two countries was during the Clinton administration.

Israel and Palestine Want to End Feud

The leaders of Israel and Palestine have dedicated themselves to solving the feud between the two nations that has been ongoing for over six decades. The two leaders, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas have created a deadline for the peace treaty at the end of 2008.