2008 Woodie Awards
Health department hosts free testing
Katherine McGehee
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
By Katherine McGehee
News Editor
The 3rd street location of the Hamilton County Health Department is hosting a free chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV testing event today from 4 to 7 p.m.
"The tests are non invasive," Kasey Pool, public information officer for the Hamilton County Health Department, said.
"We will do an oral swab for the HIV test and collect a urine sample for the chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, which means no exam and no stirrups," Pool said.
"Traditional testing can be a little more painful," Pool said. "Both tests are accurate, but the traditional test yields results the same day, whereas the urine test has to be sent out for testing, so the results take longer to get."
Tom Rucci, AIDS outreach coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department said, "The nice thing is that nobody is going to drop their pants."
In addition to the free testing, there will be goodie bags containing pens, note pads and condoms, Rucci said.
Pool said, "Screening is important because it leads to early and effective treatment which can prevent serious complications."
Rucci said: "Chlamydia is the number one STD bacterial infection in America. There are 3 million cases every year.
"It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility," Rucci said.
"Children born to women who have chlamydia are at risk for blindness and pneumonia," Rucci said.
Pool said it is especially important for women to get tested.
"Sometimes with chlamydia, you might have symptoms, but you may not," Pool said. "That happens more with women, especially women under 25."
Women aren't the only people who should be worried about chlamydia, according to Rucci.
"Even though men obviously can get PID, they can still get epididymitis, which is painful and can lead to sterility," Rucci said.
According to webmd.com: "The epididymis is a long, tightly coiled tube that lies above and behind each testicle. It collects and stores maturing sperm made by the testicles prior to ejaculation. Inflammation and infection of the epididymis is called epididymitis."
Normally there is a $10 fee for these tests, but this event is completely free, Rucci said.
The cost of the tests prevents them from being free all the time, Rucci said.
Pool said, "We're having the testing at night, so if you're with a group of friends, just bring all of them down and get tested before you go out."
The testing will be conducted in section three of the building, which should be easy to find because it will be the only part that's open, Rucci said.
He said the health department wanted to involve UTC in this event because the campus is right in the middle of the zip codes that contain the highest rates of chlamydia.
For more information call (423) 209-8250.
News Editor
The 3rd street location of the Hamilton County Health Department is hosting a free chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV testing event today from 4 to 7 p.m.
"The tests are non invasive," Kasey Pool, public information officer for the Hamilton County Health Department, said.
"We will do an oral swab for the HIV test and collect a urine sample for the chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, which means no exam and no stirrups," Pool said.
"Traditional testing can be a little more painful," Pool said. "Both tests are accurate, but the traditional test yields results the same day, whereas the urine test has to be sent out for testing, so the results take longer to get."
Tom Rucci, AIDS outreach coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department said, "The nice thing is that nobody is going to drop their pants."
In addition to the free testing, there will be goodie bags containing pens, note pads and condoms, Rucci said.
Pool said, "Screening is important because it leads to early and effective treatment which can prevent serious complications."
Rucci said: "Chlamydia is the number one STD bacterial infection in America. There are 3 million cases every year.
"It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility," Rucci said.
"Children born to women who have chlamydia are at risk for blindness and pneumonia," Rucci said.
Pool said it is especially important for women to get tested.
"Sometimes with chlamydia, you might have symptoms, but you may not," Pool said. "That happens more with women, especially women under 25."
Women aren't the only people who should be worried about chlamydia, according to Rucci.
"Even though men obviously can get PID, they can still get epididymitis, which is painful and can lead to sterility," Rucci said.
According to webmd.com: "The epididymis is a long, tightly coiled tube that lies above and behind each testicle. It collects and stores maturing sperm made by the testicles prior to ejaculation. Inflammation and infection of the epididymis is called epididymitis."
Normally there is a $10 fee for these tests, but this event is completely free, Rucci said.
The cost of the tests prevents them from being free all the time, Rucci said.
Pool said, "We're having the testing at night, so if you're with a group of friends, just bring all of them down and get tested before you go out."
The testing will be conducted in section three of the building, which should be easy to find because it will be the only part that's open, Rucci said.
He said the health department wanted to involve UTC in this event because the campus is right in the middle of the zip codes that contain the highest rates of chlamydia.
For more information call (423) 209-8250.
