By Sam Arseneau
Students have responded positively to UPEI’s decision to offer self-testing STI kits in public washrooms on campus.
The UPEI Health and Wellness centre says that in the past few months STI testing through them has doubled, attributing the spike to the new tests.
Currently, 18 washrooms in the most commonly used areas on campus have the kits including men’s, women’s, and gender-neutral washrooms.
UPEI student Kari Kruse says that there are multiple benefits to making self-testing STI kits accessible to students.
“They allow students easier access to be better informed on their sexual health status in a less invasive way. Having the ability to do the test yourself, students are able to have a more comfortable, private experience and saves us time from having to make a doctor’s appointment,†she said.
This do-it-yourself style test makes it easier for students that have busy schedules and cannot find an appointment time that works for them. It also prioritizes students’ privacy with a very simple that is discrete from start to finish.
After dropping off the sample students will be notified in a few days if their sample comes back positive for STIs.
It is important to note, not all STI’s can be checked from the self-testing kits, some require blood testing from a health care professional.