The Brown & White

The Health Center has stopped offering free, anonymous on-campus blood testing for HIV, offered by the state, due largely to budget cuts.

Previously, staff from the Bethlehem Health Bureau came to campus once each semester to provide this service and follow-up counseling two weeks later.

St. Luke's Hospital provided free HIV testing using a saliva swab rapid test twice a month for free last spring, but also stopped the service because of funding problems, said Director of Student Health Services Susan Kitei. Forty students took advantage of this testing last spring.

Kitei said she recognizes the benefits of having HIV testing easily available to students on campus.

"I believe that more students would be tested for HIV if testing were available on campus. It's just that providing and paying for testing is not a simple matter," Kitei said.

The Health Center is looking into providing the saliva rapid test for students, which would be a test the in-house lab could perform, making it free to students. However, the saliva rapid test is more expensive than other in-house tests and pre- and post-test counseling would be required in accordance with the Quality Assurance procedures established in 2007.

The saliva rapid test is also not 100 percent accurate, so high-risk students would have to be retested and some students may falsely test positive.

Although the Health Center does not offer HIV testing, they do offer sexually transmitted infection education programs, such as one-on-one counseling with a clinician and information pamphlets. Students dedicated to educating other students about sexually transmitted infections are called Sexperts and include HIV education in their programs. The Health Center also offers free testing to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea.

LGBTQA Services provides educational services about sexually transmitted diseases by talking with students about HIV, providing condoms and also co-planning World AIDS Week on campus.

Director of LGBTQA Services Timothy Gardner said other factors besides budget cuts contributed to the elimination of free on-campus testing.

"Voluntary free campus testing statistics showed higher needs in off-campus communities throughout the state," Gardner said.

Although there may be a greater need for free HIV testing in these communities than on college campuses, it is still important to get tested if you are sexually active, Gardner said.

"It is likely that less people are tested now that we do not offer free testing on campus," he said. "However, it is a sign of a sexually active and aware citizen to be tested and we do offer testing on campus."

Gardner suggests people get tested through their insurance, if possible, because it is expensive for the state to pay for testing. If this is not possible, then local clinics are a good option.

Health Services refers students to the Bethlehem Health Bureau Wellness Clinic at 10 Church St., where free HIV testing is available on Mondays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. with no appointment necessary.