HIV testing
For those concerned about HIV but don’t want everyone to know it, the Memorial Health Center offers free, anonymous HIV testing every other Friday starting this week.

The health center, in conjunction with AIDS Prevention Project, offers testing tailored for the SMU community.

The tests are conducted in a private area in the back of the health center. A nurse from AIDS Prevention Project, which is funded by the Dallas County Health Department, performs the tests. To protect anonymity, individuals going in for the testing will not come in contact with SMU health officials.

Interested persons should make an appointment with AIDS Prevention Project and tell them that they would like to be tested at SMU. Students can give a fictitious name or a number for identification. Upon arrival at the health center, students should bypass the front desk and go straight to the testing room.

The nurse and/or counselor performs pre- and post-test counseling, in which they go over risk factors, prevention measures and test results. Test results normally arrive — after testing.

Health officials recommend being re-tested within six months after a negative test result, to ensure that it was not a false negative.

To make an appointment, call 214-944-1050.

Pap smears
The Memorial Health Center has acquired a new, more sensitive Pap test, called the Thin Prep Pap test.

The Pap test is used to test for precancerous cells in the cervix. Cervical cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer for women, but can be successfully treated if found early.

The health center, as well as most private gynecological practices, has completely converted from the conventional Pap smear to this new method.

Thin Prep has many advantages over the smear method. It opens a lot of doors in gynecological testing. Previously, a separate specimen had to be collected to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Now, these two sexually transmitted diseases can be tested for as well as precancerous cells.

Also, the Thin Prep Pap test allows medical professionals to clearly detect human papilloma virus, several strains of which can increase risk of cervical cancer.

Dr. Nancy Merrill of the SMU Health Center has been very impressed with the process’ benefits.

“The quality is unbelievable,” Merrill said. “[Thin Prep’s] sensitivity and specificity are excellent.”

One reason the method is highly advocated by doctors is that almost none of the sample is wasted.

“We used to take the sample and smear it on a glass slide,” health center nurse Beth Kitchell said. “Now with Thin Prep, the specimen goes over to the lab in a liquid medium.”

With the smear method, the swab is wiped on a slide and much of the sample is simply thrown away. Through the Thin Prep method, the swab is dipped in the liquid-filled Thin Prep vial, where a filtration process disperses the cells.

One disadvantage to the new method is its higher cost. The test costs $50.

Merrill, however, says that the test’s benefits outweigh the cost.

“The test is truly the standard of care,” she said. “We did competitive pricing and looked at different labs. The woman who runs the lab is very impressive.”

Merrill also said that the cost for Thin Prep should go down at some point and added that the health center’s costs are lower than Planned Parenthood’s.

It is recommended that women between the ages of 18 and 65 get a Pap test every 1-3 years, depending on sexual activity.