With Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week well underway, the Middlesex-London Health Unit will be hosting its Get Tested! event on the campus of Western University tomorrow between 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Held since 2014, this annual event will take place at the University Community Centre and is being hosted in partnership with the Western Student Council and Health Promotion Western. The goal of the day is to screen and test as many students as possible for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), within the 12-hour timeframe.
At last year’s Get Tested! event, 813 Western students were screened and tested for STIs within the 12-hour window, setting a new world record and topping the previous mark of 767 set on Valentine’s Day, 2013 in Basingstoke, England. While the achievement set a benchmark for the MLHU and Western, it achieved a more important goal in raising awareness about STI screening and testing, while helping erase some of the stigma and judgement often associated with testing.
“The goal of this event is to demonstrate how easy it is to get screened and tested, that it doesn’t have to be embarrassing and that people shouldn’t feel judged. Getting tested is a key part of looking after your sexual and reproductive health, and it’s as easy as peeing in a cup,” says Chris Blain, Health Promoter with the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s Sexual Health Promotion Team. “While we aren’t necessarilly aiming for a new world record this year, we do want to encourage people to come see us in the UCC tomorrow to get tested and to get the information they need to stay healthy.”
Once diagnosed, most STIs can be treated easily, but left alone some infections can lead to serious illness - even permanent damage, such as infertility. The Health Unit recommends that anyone who is sexually active get tested for STIs with each new sexual partner.
In addition to the Get Tested! event, the Health Unit offers free and confidential STI testing at its 50 King Street Sexual Health Clinic, Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The clinic operates on a drop-in basis where clients do not need to make appointments or show their health card. It offers a safe and non-judgemental place where clients can have open discussions about their sexual health with professionals.
More information and a list of clinic services is also available on the Health Unit website at http://www.healthunit.com/sexually-transmitted-infections.
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit,
519-663-5317 ext. 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell)
Spokesperson:
Chris Blain, Health Promoter, Sexual Health Promotion Team, Middlesex-London Health Unit