STI Testing

Headed Back To College? Here's What To Know About STI Testing

For many young people, college is a time of self-discovery and development. This includes developing relationships with new friends, classmates, and, yes, intimate relationships and sexual partners.

As you broach adulthood and develop a sex life, while there can be a lot of fun involved, there’s also a lot of responsibility that comes with it. You are ultimately responsible for your health and must take charge to protect yourself. This may sound intimidating, but in fact, it can be as simple as basic communication, testing, and safer sex practices—all of which will be laid out for you in this article.

The State of Sex Education

When approaching intimate relationships or initiating sexual encounters, you should never assume that your partner (or partners) has the same information and education on safer sex practices, STI testing, or general sexual competency. After all, in the U.S., only 38 states plus the District of Columbia mandate sex education or HIV education, and only 10 states mandate HIV education. [1]

Additionally, the education is not always comprehensive or inclusive—only 18 states require curriculum to be medically accurate, four states require that homosexuality be conveyed as negative, and only 10 states mandate that “... instruction that is appropriate for a student’s cultural background and that is not biased against any race, sex or ethnicity.” [1]

Thankfully, according to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 90% of surveyed teens reported being educated on STIs (including HIV). Despite some adolescents receiving education on condoms and birth control, significant gaps remain in STI education, particularly among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic males and those identifying as non-heterosexual. [1] So, even if someone is receiving sex education, they likely still don’t have all the information that they need.

STD Rates on College Campuses in the U.S.

It makes sense that STD rates are so high on college campuses in the US. The statistics on STDs on campuses are staggering—in fact, the highest numbers of STDs are reported among college-aged students. [2] Comparatively, while it is estimated that one in four college students has an STD, in the broader U.S. population, it is estimated that one in five people has an STD. [3,4] Here are some other statistics about sexually transmitted diseases on college campuses in the U.S. [2,5]:

Young people/adolescents between the ages of 15-24 accounted for over half (53%) of new sexually transmitted infections in 2020
19% of all new HIV diagnoses were among young people between the ages of 13-24
One in two people will contract a sexually transmitted infection before the age of 25
More than two-thirds of people who contract an STI are asymptomatic or don’t present with symptoms
Women (assigned female at birth) have a higher biological risk of contracting STIs than men (assigned male at birth)

Why Are STDs So Prevalent on College Campuses in the U.S.?

So why are STDs so prevalent on college campuses in the U.S.? Many colleges and universities tend to be somewhat isolated communities, with the same people living, sleeping, eating, studying, socializing, and hooking up with one another. What goes around, comes around—whether that’s the common cold, a stomach bug, or a sexually transmitted infection.

With the popularity of hookup culture within colleges, particularly residential colleges, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. This isn’t to say that hookup culture is inherently bad— exploring one’s sexuality is considered to be part of adulthood for many people—there are plenty of ways for folks to practice safer sex to avoid contracting STDs or having unplanned pregnancies.

Interestingly enough, however, college students are having less sex than in the early 2000s.

The National College Health Assessment survey found that in 2000, 72% of surveyed college students reported being sexually active. In 2018, 66% of surveyed college students reported being sexually active.

This six percent decrease isn’t insignificant, but one should keep in mind that there was about a 28% increase in enrollment in undergraduate and graduate programs between 2000 and 2018. [6] This means that while a lower percentage of college students are having sex, technically, the number of people having sex is higher.

Common Symptoms of STIs

The reality is that the vast majority of people who contract an STI don’t present with symptoms, meaning they might not feel compelled to get tested or employ safer sex practices. [2]

That said, you should know what to look out for. Here are some common STIs and their symptoms.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and is bacterial, so it’s cured with a full course of antibiotics as directed by a healthcare provider. It’s particularly common among folks between the ages of 14-24 and is transmitted via semen, pre-ejaculate (pre-cum), vaginal fluids, and from a pregnant person to their infant. It can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes, or throat.

Symptoms can include pain/burning during urination or sex, pain in the belly, unusual discharge from the vagina or penis, bleeding between periods, swelling of the testicles, and pain/discharge/bleeding around the anus. [7]

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea, similar to chlamydia, is very common among adolescents and twenty-somethings, bacterial, and often cured with antibiotics prescribed by a healthcare provider. Gonorrhea is transmitted via semen, pre-ejaculate (pre-cum), and vaginal fluids and can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, throat, eyes, and from a pregnant person to their infant. [8]

Symptoms often appear within two weeks of infection. They can include unusual vaginal discharge, pain or burning while peeing, pelvic pain, breakthrough bleeding, heavier periods than normal, and bleeding after sex for people with vulvas. For people with penises, symptoms can include unusual penile discharge, pain or burning while peeing, foreskin inflammation, and testicular pain. [9]

Syphilis

Syphilis is common, with about 7.1 million new infections in 2020. [10] Syphilis can progress through four different stages with different symptoms at each of the four stages. Initial symptoms of syphilis can include hard sores, or chancres, in the mouth or on the genitals. Later, you may develop a rash, fever, more sores, muscle aches, weight loss, headaches, hair loss, or swollen lymph nodes. A person in one of the first two stages of syphilis is most contagious. [11]

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, or “trich,” is one of the most common STIs, with about 156 million new infections in 2020. [10]

It is caused by a parasite and is treated with antibiotics. Symptoms can include discharge from the vagina or penis, burning/pain while peeing or during sex, or itching/irritation inside the penis or at the vaginal opening. [12]

Tips for Practicing Safe Sex at College

You can have a healthy and active sex life while protecting your health. Practicing safer sex is pretty straightforward: use protection, get tested, and communicate openly with sexual partners.

Using Protection

Using a condom correctly can protect you from STIs. You may not know, though, that there are multiple types of condoms. External condoms (the most commonly used) are worn on the penis. Internal condoms (often called “female” condoms) are worn inside the vagina. Dental dams are placed on external parts of the genitalia, most often during oral sex.

Get Tested

Part of growing up and entering adulthood is taking care of yourself. Luckily, many colleges have student health centers where testing is commonplace.

Who should get tested? Everyone who is sexually active, even if you don’t have STI symptoms.

When should you get tested? This depends on you, your lifestyle, and a few other factors. Here are some basic guidelines for when to get tested:

Between/after each sexual partner (especially if you have multiple partners or overlapping relationships)
When/if you or a sexual partner have symptoms
After unprotected sex
When/if you have experienced sexual violence or assault

More specific guidelines include:

Women and those assigned female at birth who are sexually active should be tested every year for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Folks who identify as LGBTQIA+ should test at least annually (more often if you have more than one partner).
People who engage in injectable drug use should be tested at least annually.

These are very general and not comprehensive guidelines. To determine how often you should get tested, you can talk to your healthcare provider to tailor a treatment plan to your lifestyle.

At-Home STI Care and Lab Tests From Everlywell

You have options for testing and treatment. Maybe your student health center or a local healthcare provider isn’t accessible to you, or maybe you’re feeling a bit embarrassed about seeking treatment.

Don’t worry—you can still be tested and treated for STDs.

Everlywell's at-home lab tests screen you from the comfort of your home. If your results are abnormal or positive, you’ll be able to connect with our independent physician network at no additional cost and may be eligible to receive treatment through services like online STD consults.

Practicing Safe Sex

With sex, there is always a risk, usually due to human error (e.g., a condom falls off, etc.) The only way to eliminate all risks is to abstain from sexual activity. Here are some final tips for practicing safe sex at college:

Wear protection
Have honest communication with your healthcare provider about your sex life
Communicate openly with your sexual partners about testing and diagnoses
Be mindful of stigma and the language you use when discussing STDs and STIs
Educate yourself and those around you
Treat infections according to the direction of your healthcare provider
Practice monogamy
Get tested

Get STD treatment online