As the holiday that emphasizes love and intimacy approaches, students will have the chance to get checked for STDs.
For the first time, UF will host free STD screenings at the Student Health Care Center on campus from 5 to 8 p.m. today.
Dr. Shirley Haberman, director of UF's GatorWell Health Promotion Services, collaborated with the Alachua County Health Department to hold the "Play it Safe: Get Tested" event on campus.
Haberman said she organized the event after learning from a colleague at the ACHD that chlamydia was on the rise in Alachua County.
"(STD rates are) increasing, and we're looking for ways to impact that," Haberman said.
The number of cases of chlamydia in Alachua has more than doubled since 1996, rising from 514 to 1,263 in 2005, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The Student Health Care Center will be screening for chlamydia, HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea. Gardasil, the HPV vaccine that consists of three injections over a six month period, will be offered for $165 a shot.
According to the SHCC, STD screenings normally cost about $75, whereas HIV testing runs about $15. But with ACHD footing the bill, money won't be an issue.
"It will give peace of mind to students, being able to get the tests and not worry," Haberman said.
Samantha Evans, UF health promotion specialist, said there were about 1,520 STD tests given at the SHCC from Jan. 1 to June 30 in 2008.
The number of students being tested is increasing, she said.
"Students need to be realistic, that if they're sexually active, they may have an STD," she said.
