About us
• Learn age-appropriate and context-appropriate ways to discuss STI prevention with persons aged 10-70.
• Conduct voluntary gonorrhea and chlamydia tests for inmates at Douglas County Jail and other health sites.
• Educate the inmates on STI signs and symptoms, prevention, detection and treatment, and possible complications if STIs go untreated.
• Engage in leadership roles, academic presentations, and research projects.
• Recognize the complexities of health disparities related to education, race, income level, high-risk lifestyle, and access to healthcare.
GOALS
Students Gain
Valuable Hands
on Experience
OUR MISSION
The Douglas County Corrections (DCC) Inmate STD testing project began as a Service Learning Project for the College of Medicine class of 2012. Douglas County is unfortunately known for its high rates of both Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis and correctional centers elsewhere are known to have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) than the general population. Considering these facts, this project was developed as a collaboration between DCC, the Douglas County Health Department and the Colleges of Public Health, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. All students who wish to participate will receive orientation at DCC and a background check and will be issued ID badges. The project includes weekly visits to DCC, each week a different housing unit is provided STI education and optional testing. Students then return after the results have been returned from the Douglas County Health Department Lab to treat, with the assistance of a faculty member, and educate any inmates who test positive. This project addresses a much overlooked proportion of the population and could potentially assist in reducing the rates of N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis in Douglas County.
