Private MD News

Newspaper: STD rate higher than people think

Category: Chlamydia

While there is no concrete evidence for the number of people living with STDs at Washington University in St. Louis, the student newspaper is claiming the number of infected students may be higher than the community realizes.

Melissa Ruwitch, assistant director of Student Health Services on campus, told Student Life healthcare workers at the center "most commonly" treat chlamydia and HPV, as well as gonorrhea.

However, because statistics show that across the nation, one out of every two sexually active people contract an STD by age 25, the news provider is assuming there may be more people on campus either not getting treatment or not knowing their status.

"I think we are not in a bubble," Ruwitch told the newspaper. "Our students are having sex with people in St. Louis who are not Washington University students, so those statistics are very real."

One student told Student Life that some students may feel nervous about getting an STD test and that he personally didn't get one because he was embarrassed.

To avoid feeling self-conscious about their health status, some people have opted to get an anonymous STD test or order a lab test online to ensure their privacy.