Located beneath City College’s Campus Center, and overlooking La Playa Stadium, The Well is partnering with Santa Barbara Neighborhood clinics (SBNC) to offer monthly STI screenings to students and community members.
The Well is a program on campus dedicated to providing the diverse City College student community with various resources through clinics, events, and workshops, year-round.
On Oct. 15, The Well hosted their first STI screening event since 2019, in collaboration with SBNC, who has been a partner of The Well for over ten years. These monthly clinics feature over four booths filled with information on sexually transmitted diseases, along with testing resources for students.
“We are looking to do it again on a more regular basis,” Ali Javanbakht, chief medical officer at Cottage Health said. “We test specifically for STIs, so we can test people for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV.”
According to Javanbakht, these tests can help students catch these diseases early, even if the student feels perfectly fine or has no symptoms. The Well encourages students who are sexually active to get tested as soon as possible.
“Young people pretend to have good access to primary care, especially college students, so they tend to miss out on these important screening events,” Javanbakht said.
Eva Bretado, mobile clinic manager for Cottage Health, explained that all testing is confidential and they offer services to both insured and uninsured individuals. Including screenings as well as birth control options.
“We take anybody that has private insurance or no insurance so we can help the student or anybody interested in applying to get our services,” Bretado said.
Bretado noted that some students may feel scared or uncomfortable discussing their health and available resources, but it is important to take precautions by being aware of their own bodies and utilizing protective services.
The event provided many resources and comprehensive guidance for students to educate themselves on critical sexual health issues that are increasingly becoming more and more prevalent nationwide.
The Well’s Student Program Advisor, Becky Bean ran the event, focusing on student empowerment as well as student needs on campus.
“Sign up for Medi-cal, Covered California, Family Pact, as well as register to vote, and get connected to birth control and health resources,” Bean said.
These monthly testing events will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and located at The Well in ECC 21 on City College’s East Campus. Test results will be given the following Friday and on-site testing is also available.
In addition to these testing events, students also have access to Student Health Medical Services located in the Student Services building. These services allow City College students access to emergency contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and condoms, Monday through Friday.
“There’s no harm in it, it’s always good to know, and treatments are regularly available,” Javanbakht said.
The Well will be hosting another STI screening pop-up on Tuesday, Nov. 12.