SHAW Launches New STI Testing & Treatment Program
Grinnell College’s Student Health and Wellness Center (SHAW) is now offering new testing and treatment services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). For students seeking to maintain their sexual health, getting regularly tested for STIs is a great way to maintain a physically healthy sex life.
Though experiencing STIs may be uncomfortable or scary, SHAW’s new program is a safe space to receive confidential STI testing and on-site medication. Accordingly, students will not be forced to seek STI medication at a local pharmacy or depend on shared family insurance for testing. Cost is also not a concern for students as SHAW is providing these services for free.
The new SHAW testing and treatment program comes after a long reflection by the Director of Health Services, Kasey Herbers, PA-C, and staff nurse, Lesa Peters. After hosting the “Give a Cup, Get A Cup (of Ice Cream)” STI testing service on campus, Herbers and Peters began their search for a permanent solution to the testing service’s glaring problems. Though the “Give A Cup, Get A Cup” service was free and accessible to all students through its public clinic in the Joe Rosenfield Center, the service was offered only once every semester. As a result, students sought STI testing and medication outside the college campus. Herbers and Peters were also aware of unaffordable STI testing and treatment expenses from local medical services, leaving several students without medical care. At times, students were forced to travel an hour to Planned Parenthood sites in Des Moines or Iowa City by their own means. Often, students would postpone testing for school breaks while others would postpone testing completely. Herbers says a common concern for students was family finding charges for treatment on shared insurance.
Moreover, the “Give A Cup, Get A Cup,” program limited testing to urine gonorrhea and chlamydia STI testing. The sole urine test effectively limited discovery of infections transmitted beyond vaginal-penile intercourse, making the service inevitably gendered and incomplete. Under SHAW’s new program, staff can screen for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes beyond the basic urine sample test. Providers are fully equipped to perform testing through oral and rectal swabs, as well as with urine and blood samples. If an individual tests positive for a STI, they may request an additional dose of medication for their sex partners without them being seen. Student testing is determined by answers on a comprehensive SHAW questionnaire.
As the director of health services, Herbers hoped to improve access to STI testing and treatment in order to alleviate the stress from experiencing STI symptoms. SHAW’s integrative health system also allows students to book counseling appointments in conjunction with their STI testing appointments. Students may also request same-day crisis appointments with SHAW’s mental health counselors to address any and all mental health concerns that arise before, during, and after STI testing.
In pursuing this comprehensive testing and treatment program, Herbers’ main goals were to make the program convenient, affordable, and comprehensive. With SHAW’s new program, Herbers hopes to de-stigmatize STI testing and treatment, as well as prove SHAW to be a safe and comfortable place to meet your sexual health needs. Students will be able to ask providers at SHAW about STIs, treatment, and safe sex practices without judgment, as well as provide educational sex materials and products for safe sex practices. Herbers and Peters note that sexual education is one of the biggest tools for keeping yourself safe and healthy. According to Herbers, “Sexual health is health. At SHAW, we provide whole-person care.”
SHAW is able to support this new programming after being approved for the Community-Based Screening Services (CBSS). CBSS is a collaborative project between the Family Planning Council of Iowa (FPCI), the Iowa Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) Family Planning and STD Programs, and the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa (SHL). The program is supported by resources from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SHAW also received a centrifuge on behalf of the UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center.
Information for Students
Students can access resources from the STI testing and treatment program starting February 1. Students can book appointments through SHAW’s health portal and check in on the iPad devices in the SHAW office. The SHAW staff will review, administer, collect tests, and prescribe treatment as needed.
A questionnaire filled out by students will determine which tests students need or qualify for. SHAW provides urine samples, pharyngeal and rectal swabs, and venous blood samples. These services are not recorded on students’ insurance. Medications for STIs will be free and available to students with positive results.