Medical and Sexual Health Concerns

Concerns involving medical or sexual health can be especially distressing when one is away from home, and managing preventive care can bring up feelings of uncertainty. Health related concerns that may arise include:

• coping emotionally with a chronic illness
• being newly diagnosed with an illness
• serious illness experienced by a friend or family member
• fear of stigma associated with medical illness or sexual health
• injury affecting your athletic abilities
• concerns related to sexual functioning
• fears of a medical or sexual nature

Each concern brings with its own challenges, nuanced by one's experiences, and a range of questions might emerge. What steps toward preventive care can you take to support your Health? Who can I talk to about my medical and sexual health? How might you explain your illness, and any special needs or limitations, to your friends? How do you balance your life at college with your worries about a sick family member? How can you continue to function academically and socially despite your anxiety? How do you best cope with the disappointment/depression/etc. resulting from a sports injury? How do you know when your fears are truly excessive--and if they are, how can you address them?

There are campus resources available to support you.

• Student Health and Education Services provides direct medical care and education about various health concerns and developmental experiences (including sexual health).
• Disability Support Services can arrange appropriate accommodations when relevant.
• The Counseling Center offers support for the emotional impact of your health concerns and our counselors can meet with you for consultation, brief individual counseling and, if relevant, assist with appropriate referrals.

For assistance regarding the diagnosis or treatment of a medical concern, contact Student Health and Education Services. For assistance with health related accommodations contact Disability and Accessibility Services.

For concerns related to sexual assault and intimate partner violence, please review Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence website for additional information.

The Counseling Center located in Humanities 150 is open M-F from 8:30 am until 5 pm (EST) and closed when the university is closed.  If you would like to make an appointment with a counselor, schedule an appointment online, stop by our office, or call 410-617-2273.