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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 4, 1994)
The Student Health Center Newsletter The -——————i__ Relationships Edition — How relationships affect health lyawHthi• Some of you might won der why the Well Nou\ a newsletter put out bv the Student Health C enter, has devoted its entire Spring issue to the topic of rela tionships As Ordinary as the word "relationship" may seem, most of us would probably agree that it occupies and consumes a lot of our time, energy and emotion. When we think of the word, many of us automatically think about whether or not we have a significant other in our lives There are also relationships with friends, siblings, faculty and employers that influence our well-being. We believe that anything that consumes so much personal energy and sometimes causes large amounts of stress is worth considering as a vital health factor. One of the most obvi ous ways relationships can affect your health is through stress. Relationships can change how you feel about yourself, what you eat, how you sleep A sexual relationship with the wrong person can leave you with an incurable disease or even kill you. The Peer Health Advisors in the Health Education Program want to shan information that we've learned. There are so many differ ent kinds of complex situations out there, and many of us have experienced them at one time or another. In this issue of the Well Now, there are several articles which directly address some of the health issues centered around relationships. The Health Education Program has many resources available on relationships and other health-related topics. Peer Health Advisors provide individual counseling and group pre sentations on a number of topics. You can also borrow a variety of health-related books, videos, and pamphlets at the Health Education Office If you are interested in talk ing with a Peer Health Advisor individually or in requesting a group presentation on a particular topic, our number is 346-4456 Student Health Center offers HIV testing BfAimhSt—h You had loo much to drink and ended up sleeping with a person you didn't know th.it well When you first met the per son they seemed very nice As you continued to drink the\ became more attractive After awhile vou began to kiss and before vou knew it sou ended up in bed together You didn't have a condom and your part ner didn't sav anything about using one So you had unprotected -ex ’ What's the big deal7 It was only one time' You were drunk a ini your partner didn't look like the type of person who would have some kind ot sexually transmitted dis ease It you've ever had unprotectix.1 sex. you run the 'risk ot being infected with HIV HIV is the ..virus which causes AIDS The only way a person can find out if thev are infected with the virus is to be tested for it HIV listing is offered on campus at the Student I lealth Center If you want to get tested, you need to wait 3 to 6 months after vour pi*ssible exposure to IHV I his is the amount of time it may lake your N*dy to produce the antibodies in the blood w hich is what the test detects Once you've decided to get tested, you nexx.1 to make an appointment at the Student I lealth Center Ibis appointment consists of a 30 minute session with a IIIV counselor t he counselor w ill discuss vour rights of privacy and will clearly explain your risk of contracting the HIV infection You may choose to take the test confidentially, which means the test will be part of your medical record. If you prefer more privacy you can take it anonymously, which means it doesn't become part of your medical record The test ciwts $12 (X) a ml must be paid up front for an anonymous test For a confidential test you can pay through student billing It takes about two weeks to get the risults To receive the results, you must meet with the HIV counselor a second time The counselor wilf explain the test results and discuss any other important issues'toncerning HIV and AIDS If you are a person who has possibly been Photo by for Uvtngston Ginger Sand* is one of two HIV/AIOS coun selor* at the Student Health Center. exposxd to 1IIV, It'S lime to get ti-sted ( ,ettlllg lest ed is easy, but it takes a degree of courage to go through with it I here are many reasons you should get ti-stevl I he best one would bo to find out you aren't Infected w ith HIV If you are infected with IIIV, it's better that you know so you don't infect other people I here's also treatment for HIV patients that can improve their quality of health and possibly delay the onset of AIDS Many people make mistakes that can excise them to HIV Trying to forget the incident or ignor ing it altogether won't make it go away It's time to take responsibility for your actions (,et tested and find out the truth For more information on the test ing or HIV and AIDS, call lla Ausland at T4r>-27V4 or Ginger Sands at T4n-27h4 Work out together! You've been seeing each other for several months now You've done the dinner thing, you've watched a dozen movies, you've even Climbed the Butte logeiner ai n am io wjun me sunrise Short of taking a Caribbean cruise, what is left to do together? Since most college students don't have the money to attend a movie at the Bijou much less a sunny beach where the native language is not English, one must look elsewhere to keep the relationship fresh, exciting, and healthy. There are several "frontiers ' out there that can be explored by couples searching for something a little more stimulating than another late night with David Let ter man One option is exercising together This can be a wonderful experi ence if several areas are considered before hitting the slopes or strapping on roller blades. It is necessary that the potential exercising couple (you and your other half) sit down and set some common goals and learn more about each other When couples first begin dating they usually spend a large amount of time with each other Things like exercising and sleeping usually get neglected Once the relationship starts to get comfortable, schedules get reevaluated (falling asleep in calculus from lack of sleep is not con ducive to a positive learning experience), and exercise once again becomes impor tant Working out can be a great way to spend time together Suppose you are now sitting face to face discussing the mountain bike excur sion you plan to take on Saturday. I lere are Mime things you need to diM'Uss What is each person’s fitness level? Is one partner very active and the other quite M-dentary? Can each partner keep up with the other? Are you going to need to adjust your pace? It is very important that you are aware of the capabilities of the other perMin before embarking on an exercising adventure Next, it is vital to discuss the activity and experience level of each participant It is hard to play "one on one" with some Tum to WORKOUT, Page 4 - *■ * - * ‘ • * *■ * 4 * * ?*M p*3*'1 *m*. <s $ pa»d‘advertising supplement Material contained herein was provided and paid tor by me U of O Student Health Center ... t.fi
