Next month, students and others in Saskatoon plan to gather in an effort to break an unofficial world record while raising awareness about the importance of good sexual health practices.
On Nov. 2, an event hosted by Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan Student Health Services and the Peer Health Mentors, will call on more than 813 people to undergo a test for sexually transmitted infections, in an attempt to topple Western University in Ontario as the record-holder for the most STI tests conducted in a 12-hour period.
“It’s not just about getting people tested, it’s about really creating that awareness and de-stigmatizing STI testing and HIV testing,” said Jillian Schwandt, executive director of the sexual health centre.
“We want people to see getting tested for STIs and HIV as part of their routine health care.”
Organizers hope more than 200 people will line up for a urine test at each of four sites at various spots on the University of Saskatchewan campus, including lower Place Riel and the U of S Student Health Services. The tests will screen for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
The event is part of the sexual health centre’s #WrapItUpSK condom distribution campaign, using cleverly branded condoms with slogans like “Saskatoon Wanna Spoon?” to promote the contraceptive as an affordable and widely-available way to protect against STIs.
Saskatoon Sexual Health Centre executive director Jillian Schwandt poses Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, with a phone displaying the website for the centre’s ‘WrapItUpSK’ distribution campaign aimed at promoting condoms as an affordable and widely-available way to combat STIs.
Schwandt said so far, reception from the public has been “really positive” and students seem eager to participate. It has allowed the sexual health centre to forge new relationships with organizations in the campus community, she added.
“Coming from a community-based organization, it’s really great to be working with people on campus and to develop those partnerships around addressing sexual health needs for youth in our community.”
U of S students need their health cards and student ID to get tested. People off campus can also participate, although they will have to fill out an intake form.
Partners in the event include the Campus Medicine Shoppe, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union, the College of Nursing, OUT Saskatoon and AIDS Saskatoon.
mmodjeski@postmedia.com
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–This story has been updated.