UHS offers several resources for students to use to keep themselves healthy, both physically and mentally. Specifically, UHS offers many excellent resources for women around college age.
Gynecological exams
UHS offers appointments for gynecological exams. The appointment features several different aspects that offer a full checkup for several different areas of concern.
The first test done is the regular pelvic exam completed at every gynecological exam, which is when the vulva is examined, a speculum is inserted into the vagina, and appropriate tests are done to ensure proper vaginal health. A bimanual examination is then performed, which is when your internal organs are felt through your vagina and lower abdomen to ensure there are no abnormal pelvic masses.
The appointment can also include a test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes. You can also get blood tests done for syphilis and HIV. You can also get a Pap test done, which analyzes cells picked up from the cervix for any indication of abnormalities relating to cervical cancer. Finally, the specialist will typically perform a clinical breast examination, which is similar to the self-examination.
Gynecological tests are recommended once a year, as soon as someone with a vagina becomes sexually active or turns 21, whichever comes first. It is also recommended that those who have not been in a heterosexual sexual relationship still get a gynecological exam done to test for other common health problems.
Contraception
While this doesn’t concern just women, as both partners should be mindful about contraception while engaging in PIV sex, it is still important to know everything UHS offers. The most well-known resources that UHS offers are its free condoms, located in baskets in the UHS lobby, as well as with RAs.
You can also schedule an appointment with a provider to discuss other long-term birth control methods, such as birth control pills, intrauterine devices, and Nexplanon, which is a small rod inserted under the skin of a woman’s upper arm l that can prevent pregnancy for up to four years.
Emergency contraception, also called Plan B, is available for purchase in the UHS office, and is a pill you can take in case of the failure of your birth control method. This should be taken within 120 hours of unprotected sex for it to be effective. If you fear your method has failed, make your way to UHS as soon as possible and get emergency contraception, and schedule an appointment with your UHS provider to get STI and HIV testing done.
UHS also offers appointments for pregnancy testing, and even offers an option to get the test billed confidentially—meaning the cost does not get submitted to the insurance company, but just to the student.t.
LGBT University Services
UHS encourages those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and gender non-comforming to let their healthcare provider know so that they can discuss issues and health advice specific to the student. Healthcare providers will ensure that the treatment is tailored and that students get the full spectrum of help they need to ensure proper health.
University Counseling Center (UCC)
While this isn’t specifically for women, it is still a very important service that the University offers and that should be taken advantage of. After paying the mandatory health fee, students are entitled to 10 free UCC appointments. Students’ therapists will discuss issues with them and will tailor a plan that is best suited to their needs.
The UCC also offers group therapy sessions and workshops for those who wish to work with other students. In addition, those with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, performance anxiety, panic, or mild to moderate depression are appropriate for the therapist-assisted online therapy program, wherein students can complete therapy modules and have weekly video conferences with their therapist from the comfort of their home.
And don’t think that you would need to go several times for you to feel the worth of the appointments—even just a single appointment could help. UHS offers brief therapy sessions for short-term treatments as well. This is especially useful around this time when it may feel like the stress from midterms is becoming insurmountable.
