Ian Juarez EDINBURG – April is national STI awareness month, and ‘Talk About it’ UTRGV is set to host a few events to educate students on the consequences of unsafe sex and the consequences of sexually transmitted infections.
Bianca Vieyra, Talk About it program coordinator, said the organization will be hosting both the “Sprinkle Some Knowledge” and “Lets Talk About STI Awareness” workshops.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent study, diagnoses for HIV, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis have increased.
Steven Machner, physician assistant at Student Health Services, said STI’s can happen to those who are actively or have previously participated in sexual activity.
“There’s a significant portion of the students who come in who are symptom free that we still find infections. And so, that annual screening is important,” Machner said. “So, we do always recommend for people to get tested every six months, especially if they’re sexually active or at the beginning of a sexual relationship.”
Vieyra encouraged students to visit Student Health Services on either campus if they need any screenings or treatments of STI’s.
“If they’re just wanting to know more information about how to like, make decisions on their sexual reproductive health, they can do these workshops,” Vieyra said.
“The Sprinkle Some Knowledge” workshop will be Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the Brownsville campus at the Music Science and Learning Center.
The “Let’s Talk About STI Awareness” event will take place Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Edinburg Student Union Sage Room.
