It’s not exactly a secret that sexual health is important. But so many people are woefully uneducated and don’t take precautions or regular tests, thinking that they’ll somehow muddle through clean. Don’t be one of these people!
If you’re in England, chances are it’s all free – even if you aren’t, gotta love those EHIC cards! But for so many people, healthcare is inherently worse in other countries, and tabloids overflow with stories of shoddy care and routine procedures gone wrong. But luckily for all the students living it up in Europe and further afield, this usually isn’t the case.
Know the area
The first thing you’ll have to do is scout out the local hospitals – trust me on this one, you can’t afford private clinics unless you’re loaded. Even with the most expensive insurance you can find, they probably won’t cover you for a simple check-up at a ritzy private clinic. The moment someone mentions payment, hightail it out of there and look for somewhere free! It’ll be worth it, and they do have minimum standards of hygiene, believe it or not.
Check the procedure
Another thing you should do before rocking up to get checked is look up procedure. I spent two hours sat waiting because I didn’t know what I was doing, and only got looked at thanks to the intervention of half the waiting room (never hurts to act more English than you are here). It shouldn’t be too dissimilar from English procedure, and always look for indicators of similar systems elsewhere in that country – Italy relies on a ticketing system in many shops, and this is reflected in the hospital queues, which work in the same way.
Learn the lingo
Finally, have a quick look at the vocabulary you’ll need to use – I only learned a lot of the lingo in the same week, and it’s specific as hell. You won’t be learning it in class anytime soon, so you may as well start practising now if you think it’ll be important to you. Don’t be afraid to ask for an English-speaking doctor if that makes you feel more comfortable, and when the blood has been taken and you have the indeterminable wait stretching ahead of you, relax!
I know it’s hard, and the voices in your head can be very convincing. But you have to fight against them, because it won’t end well if you succumb to them. Everyone, and I mean everyone, should be checked regularly. It doesn’t matter how safe you think you are. Be a responsible member of society and get checked now.
Do you have any comments on the importance of looking after your sexual health at university? Let us know below.
Photo: Steven Depolo / Flickr
Warwick Editor for Career Camels and Deputy Comment Editor for The Boar.
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