Twenty-five percent of students who enter the University Student Health Center come in for either diagnosis or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease, said Dr. Philip Hindelang, gynecologist at the health center.
Most of these students do not realize they are infected until they come in and are diagnosed, Hindelang said.
An estimated one out of four college students has a sexually transmitted disease, according to the Center for Disease Control’s Web site.
Sexually transmitted diseases are spread through skin-to-skin contact when at least one person is infected.
“If there is a break in the skin, you can get it,” said Hindelang.
The health center does not know the exact STD rates among University students because not every student receives treatment at the center, Hindelang said. But he said University STD rates closely follow the national average.
“The most common STDs on college campuses are human papillomavirus [HPV] and genital warts, chlamydia, and genital herpes,” Hindelang said.
The CDC released figures for Louisiana STD rates in Nov. 2005, and Louisiana ranks high among the list of the most infected states. The state ranks in the top 10 for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Baton Rouge is ninth in the number of HIV cases, Hindelang said.
The good news is gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis are bacterial diseases – when caught early, they can be cured by antibiotics.
The most common STD nationally and on campus is HPV, or the “wart virus.” Hindelang said 60 to 80 percent of women between 15 and 30 will come in contact with HPV. There is no medical cure for HPV. There are multiple strains, and some even cause cervical cancer in women.
Chlamydia is the second most common STD nationally and at LSU, and three million new cases are reported every year in the United States. Chlamydia can cause problems with women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant if it is not treated, but it can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
Herpes simplex virus is the third most common STD in the United States. There are 54 million herpes cases, said Hindelang. It can be treated by three antiviral medications, which stop the virus from replicating and allows the body to heal, Hindelang said. The virus periodically appears again.
Gonorrhea is also prevalent among college students.
“Louisiana is the second highest state for new cases of gonorrhea per capita,” Hindelang said.
The numbers jumped in 2003 because the health center started using a more sensitive screening machine, Hindelang said.
The most serious STD is the human immunodeficiency virus, which spreads by shared body fluids. Most patients first think they have the flu, Hindelang said.
Though HIV has affected many people in Baton Rouge, Hindelang said few students have contracted the virus.
“We’ve never had any patients in the women’s department come in with HIV,” Hindelang said.
The family practice doctors have seen a small number of males with HIV.
“Most patients have 15 to 20 years to live if they are not treated,” Hindelang said. “With medication, those infected can live for 25 to 30 years.”
According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, 16,000 Louisianians are living with HIV or AIDS. More than half of these people lived in the areas hardest hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
While college campuses are known for having high STD rates, many are treatable if detected early, Hindelang said. Students can use common sense to protect themselves from STDs.
 
Contact Elzabeth Miller at [email protected]