![\"imranzclinic_sti_testing400\"](\"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/imranzclinic_sti_testing400.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By Michaela Deane<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Last week I was doing a vox pop for An Focal, and the question was: Would you be embarrassed to get an STI test? And it seems that people were embarrassed about more than just the idea of getting the test itself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The question I asked was followed by many bowed heads and flushed cheeks; nobody wanted to answer this question. Of the few people who would answer, \u201cCan I use a fake name?\u201d was a popular question. So why are we so embarrassed about STI checks? And why don\u2019t we get them?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This shows that going to an STI clinic is still something that has a lot of stigma attached to it. It\u2019s all very \u201chush hush\u201d and nobody really knows what to say when they\u2019re asked about it. But what I\u2019m asking is, what\u2019s the point in being embarrassed about it? If you\u2019re sexually active, then there\u2019s a chance that you could have an STI, and there\u2019s no point in feeling ashamed. It could literally happen to anyone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Another response I got was: \u201cNo, because I don\u2019t have one.\u201d So many students just assume that they\u2019re clear of STIs, with a common reason being that they have no symptoms. The reality is that many STIs don\u2019t even have any symptoms, meaning the illness can go undiagnosed until it goes too far and God forbid, you become infertile. This is one of the many reasons that being checked is so important.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Students are often lacking in money, I think we can all vouch for that one. Here in UL, a visit to the STI clinic will leave a \u20ac30 hole in your pocket, and it\u2019s something a lot of students just aren\u2019t willing to pay. This is another factor that puts students off getting STI checks. Between presuming you don\u2019t have one because you have no symptoms and the hefty cost, it\u2019s easy to see why students can keep putting off the idea.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Going for an STI test can be daunting, but if you\u2019re sexually active it\u2019s something that needs to be done. There\u2019s a common misconception that only people who\u2019ve had lots of sex will end up with STI\u2019s, but whether you\u2019ve had sex with two people or twenty, there\u2019s still the chance that it could happen to you. When treatment for STIs is so quick and easy, what\u2019s the point in not being tested? One course of antibiotics and that pesky STI is gone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So if you\u2019ve been thinking of getting an STI test, I\u2019d say to just go for it. There\u2019s no need to be embarrassed or ashamed; all it takes is a couple of minutes and at least then you\u2019re reassured that you\u2019re in the clear. Put that \u20ac30 and your pride aside, and head on in to the clinic.<\/p>\n