Student Health offers STD tests
Jamilah Holloway
Issue date: 11/11/08 Section: Campus News
UTM Student Health Services has begun providing male and female reproductive health services to UTM students to help them prevent future health problems.
Shannon Deal, a nurse practitioner and director of Student Health, said in an e-mail interview that a federal grant in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health has made it possible for Student Health to provide the new services to students.
Student Health will offer testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as male and female reproductive counseling. Other services offered include yearly female physical exams (Pap smears), pregnancy testing and contraceptive management, which includes birth control pills, the Depo Provera injection, and emergency contraception for females, she said.
Deal said the reproductive health services - which include the visit, the diagnostic tests, medication to treat STDs and contraception (birth control pills and Depo injections) - are available at no cost to students.
"Student Health previously offered STD testing, prescriptions for emergency contraception, pregnancy testing and contraception counseling. We charged $5 for STD testing and $3 for pregnancy testing to cover the cost of our supplies," Deal said. "The students were responsible for the cost of the emergency contraception and contraception at the pharmacy if they received a prescription. The prescription cost would vary from student to student based on their insurance plans."
Now, students do not have to go to the Tennessee Department of Health offices in Dresden to receive these services. Through the grant, Student Health offers the same services on campus.
"You just have to be currently enrolled - this is required to receive any of our offered services," Deal said. "The visit is strictly confidential and all records are maintained in our office."
The access to these services is unlimited; for example, a student can get tested as many times as needed, she said.
"If a student is interested in receiving these services, he or she just needs to call our office at 881-7750 to make an appointment," Deal said. "The student must let us know what the reason is for the appointment because we need to allow a little extra time."
The grant was awarded earlier this semester. The Tennessee Department of Health received the supplemental grant specifically for family planning programs.
"I have been speaking with the county Health Department for about nine years (about this issue), but unfortunately they did not have the funding available to support a program on campus," Deal said. "We began to press upon the Tennessee Department of Health in Dresden a couple of years ago that inquiries by students were and still are received on a weekly basis.
"It became a collaborative goal of mine and the vice chancellor of Student Affairs at the time to pursue different avenues that would allow us to meet the students' needs. So we offered what services we could," Deal said. "When personnel from the Health Department approached me about possible participation in the grant, it afforded us with a means to increase available services without having a negative impact on our budget or charging the student.
"For a student to be able to receive preventive health care, wellness exams, and other related services at no cost is a tremendous perk - we hope this program encourages annual health screening for cervical and breast cancer in women and testicular cancer in men," Deal said. "Additionally one of our goals is to raise awareness of healthy reproductive behaviors so that STDs and unintentional pregnancies can be prevented."
The grant will cover all costs associated with the services. Deal said the Health Department provides all of the supplies and Student Health's program has been implemented under the Health Department's guidance and protocols. The Health Department also provides resources for referrals and implementation of the program in general, including support to ensure that Student Health follows the guidelines stipulated in the grant, she said.
The initial funding will be for a year, but will be renewed as long as it can be proved that students use the services. The Health Department only has to show an increase in the number served - which means any student who participates in the program would yield an increase in patients served, Deal said.
The family planning program receives funds from the federal Title X program, a federally mandated program to provide family planning services, she said.
"(They) recognized that college-age men and women are in need of these services. Furthermore, this population may not have access to insurance or adequate financial means that would allow them to seek these services," Deal said. "Even though students can receive these services in Dresden, some students do not have access to transportation. Having the services available on campus eliminates these factors and increases access to the services."
UTM did not receive any direct funding - all of the grant money was awarded to the Department of Health, which then supports services such as the ones now available at UTM. Deal said, however, that the funds are sufficient to support any volume of patients that will use the services.
She added that Student Health will have to follow a number of Title X guidelines to continue receiving the grant funding, as well as keep a monthly log that details the services provided each month. While she does not have current figures on the number of students who have sought reproductive health services, she said that usage must be assessed now as part of the grant.
Deal said that all student visits to Student Health are strictly confidential and all records will be maintained at her office. The grant reporting requirements involve numbers of services sought and numbers of positive test results.
"Results of STD, HIV and syphilis tests are reported to the Health Department - their lab actually performs the tests. Even if you had an HIV or syphilis test at a private clinic, all positive results have to be reported as mandated by law," Deal said.
The Title X grant guidelines include the following standards:
• Services must be provided without regard to religion, race, color, national origin, creed, handicap, sex, number or pregnancies, marital status, age, income or contraceptive preference
• Services must be confidential
• Any person of reproductive age is eligible
• Services must include history, physical examination, appropriate laboratory tests, contraceptive supplies, emergency contraception, and necessary referrals
• All clients must be provided with education and counseling as appropriate.
For more information, call Student Health at 881-7750, or visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC's) Web site at cdc.gov. For more information on Pap smears and cancer, visit the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) Web site at nccc-online.org. For more information on birth control and emergency contraception, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site at womenshealth.gov or www.womenshealth.gov/faq/emergency-contraception.cfm.
Shannon Deal, a nurse practitioner and director of Student Health, said in an e-mail interview that a federal grant in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health has made it possible for Student Health to provide the new services to students.
Student Health will offer testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as male and female reproductive counseling. Other services offered include yearly female physical exams (Pap smears), pregnancy testing and contraceptive management, which includes birth control pills, the Depo Provera injection, and emergency contraception for females, she said.
Deal said the reproductive health services - which include the visit, the diagnostic tests, medication to treat STDs and contraception (birth control pills and Depo injections) - are available at no cost to students.
"Student Health previously offered STD testing, prescriptions for emergency contraception, pregnancy testing and contraception counseling. We charged $5 for STD testing and $3 for pregnancy testing to cover the cost of our supplies," Deal said. "The students were responsible for the cost of the emergency contraception and contraception at the pharmacy if they received a prescription. The prescription cost would vary from student to student based on their insurance plans."
Now, students do not have to go to the Tennessee Department of Health offices in Dresden to receive these services. Through the grant, Student Health offers the same services on campus.
"You just have to be currently enrolled - this is required to receive any of our offered services," Deal said. "The visit is strictly confidential and all records are maintained in our office."
The access to these services is unlimited; for example, a student can get tested as many times as needed, she said.
"If a student is interested in receiving these services, he or she just needs to call our office at 881-7750 to make an appointment," Deal said. "The student must let us know what the reason is for the appointment because we need to allow a little extra time."
The grant was awarded earlier this semester. The Tennessee Department of Health received the supplemental grant specifically for family planning programs.
"I have been speaking with the county Health Department for about nine years (about this issue), but unfortunately they did not have the funding available to support a program on campus," Deal said. "We began to press upon the Tennessee Department of Health in Dresden a couple of years ago that inquiries by students were and still are received on a weekly basis.
"It became a collaborative goal of mine and the vice chancellor of Student Affairs at the time to pursue different avenues that would allow us to meet the students' needs. So we offered what services we could," Deal said. "When personnel from the Health Department approached me about possible participation in the grant, it afforded us with a means to increase available services without having a negative impact on our budget or charging the student.
"For a student to be able to receive preventive health care, wellness exams, and other related services at no cost is a tremendous perk - we hope this program encourages annual health screening for cervical and breast cancer in women and testicular cancer in men," Deal said. "Additionally one of our goals is to raise awareness of healthy reproductive behaviors so that STDs and unintentional pregnancies can be prevented."
The grant will cover all costs associated with the services. Deal said the Health Department provides all of the supplies and Student Health's program has been implemented under the Health Department's guidance and protocols. The Health Department also provides resources for referrals and implementation of the program in general, including support to ensure that Student Health follows the guidelines stipulated in the grant, she said.
The initial funding will be for a year, but will be renewed as long as it can be proved that students use the services. The Health Department only has to show an increase in the number served - which means any student who participates in the program would yield an increase in patients served, Deal said.
The family planning program receives funds from the federal Title X program, a federally mandated program to provide family planning services, she said.
"(They) recognized that college-age men and women are in need of these services. Furthermore, this population may not have access to insurance or adequate financial means that would allow them to seek these services," Deal said. "Even though students can receive these services in Dresden, some students do not have access to transportation. Having the services available on campus eliminates these factors and increases access to the services."
UTM did not receive any direct funding - all of the grant money was awarded to the Department of Health, which then supports services such as the ones now available at UTM. Deal said, however, that the funds are sufficient to support any volume of patients that will use the services.
She added that Student Health will have to follow a number of Title X guidelines to continue receiving the grant funding, as well as keep a monthly log that details the services provided each month. While she does not have current figures on the number of students who have sought reproductive health services, she said that usage must be assessed now as part of the grant.
Deal said that all student visits to Student Health are strictly confidential and all records will be maintained at her office. The grant reporting requirements involve numbers of services sought and numbers of positive test results.
"Results of STD, HIV and syphilis tests are reported to the Health Department - their lab actually performs the tests. Even if you had an HIV or syphilis test at a private clinic, all positive results have to be reported as mandated by law," Deal said.
The Title X grant guidelines include the following standards:
• Services must be provided without regard to religion, race, color, national origin, creed, handicap, sex, number or pregnancies, marital status, age, income or contraceptive preference
• Services must be confidential
• Any person of reproductive age is eligible
• Services must include history, physical examination, appropriate laboratory tests, contraceptive supplies, emergency contraception, and necessary referrals
• All clients must be provided with education and counseling as appropriate.
For more information, call Student Health at 881-7750, or visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC's) Web site at cdc.gov. For more information on Pap smears and cancer, visit the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) Web site at nccc-online.org. For more information on birth control and emergency contraception, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site at womenshealth.gov or www.womenshealth.gov/faq/emergency-contraception.cfm.
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