brunswickannews
2 • Mar. 31, 2010 • Issue 25 • Volume 143
Slow clap for rising rates of chlamydia Hilary Paige Smith News Reporter According to statistics recently released by health officials, cases of chlamydia are on the rise among New Brunswick’s younger population. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada, according to the federal department of health. It is especially prevalent among university students. The statistics show that reported cases of chlamydia have been increasing by 10 per cent each year in recent years. According to the statistics, infection numbers are highest among university students in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John. Figures also show that roughly 1,500 New Brunswickers between the ages of 15 and 29 have reported and been diagnosed with the infection. Susan Lamb, a registered nurse, said she believes that some students have an “invincible” attitude about sex and don’t feel they need to protect themselves against disease and infections. She attributed high rates of infection to attitudes expressed in mainstream media and casual attitudes about sex. “I don’t know what the statistics say about students’ attitudes toward
sex, but shows on TV now are hypersexualized, people are becoming friends with benefits and this is having an impact why are people having more sex with more partners. It makes sense that there is gong to be more spread of infection,” she said. Sarah Olsen, co-ordinator for UNB’s Sexuality Centre, also attributed the spread of chlamydia to the “invincible” attitude held by some students. “To be honest, people still think they are invincible and don’t think they should be practising safe sex themselves,” she said. Olsen also said drinking plays a role in the spread of sexually transmitted infections. “The issues with drinking and sex become more prevalent when going out and going to bars. Sex and alcohol are linked. There is a pretty strong relationship and it’s not always positive. [Alcohol] changes the way you view things. You’re less inhibited and maybe safety is not at the top of your list,” she said. Olsen also believes that some schools and parents do not properly caution students against sexually transmitted infections at the middle and high
school levels. Both Lamb and Olsen said proper barrier contraception, like male and female condoms, is necessary for preventing the spread of chlamydia. They also suggested having a clear idea of your partner’s sexual history, as well as your own. “Know the history of your partner… I know one of the nurses in my office, who if there are any STI’s, has to call the person to find out the partners they’ve had and she has to call the partners and tell them in order to keep the infections under control,” Lamb said. Olsen also suggested getting yourself tested for infections after each new sexual partner and being prepared for sex with methods of infection prevention in mind. “You have to plan sex, as unsexy as that sounds,” she said. According to Health Canada, chlamydia rates have been climbing since 1997. The infection is known as the “silent disease” because more than half of infected men and women show no symptoms. Though symptoms are not always present, up to 40 per cent of women with untreated chlamydia are at risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility.
SU free tax clinic makes money and sense Colin McPhail Sports Editor As the 2010 Canadian tax deadline quickly approaches, Sujan Saha, a first year UNB student from Bangladesh, was thoroughly confused on how to complete his tax return. And he was not alone. Students, who are already dealing with schoolwork, are faced with the difficult task of filing their taxes every year along with the rest of the adult population. The UNB Student Union was able to lessen the workload, though, by initiating a four-day long tax clinic from Wednesday, March 24 to the Saturday of that week. Lisa Solte, vice president finance with the SU, was intrigued by a similar function held at UNB Saint John last year. Recognizing the need for a tax clinic on campus, Solte, in conjunction with the Canadian Revenue Agency, was eager to get started. “There were a couple workshops up in Marshall d’Avray to help students file their taxes, to give them the four-one-one, basically,” said Solte. “I was then contacted by someone at the CRA to do a clinic similar to the one UNB Saint John had done, and that was something more like what I wanted to do.” The free service was designed to aid and inform all members of the university community. “The 20 or 50 dollars it takes to get it done at H&R Block goes a long way for students and there are even some staff members of university community that took part in the clinic,” added Solte. Out of the 140 participants, the
majority were international students with no previous knowledge of the Canadian tax system. Among them was Sujan Saha. The Bangladesh native arrived in room 103 of the Student Union Building with his documentation and in search of help. He was greeted by one of the many students volunteering at the clinic. Within 20 minutes, Saha was outside getting on with his day. The simplicity of the process was enabled by tax preparation software entitled UFile. The program takes the user through a number of easy steps where the only requirement is to fill in the information found in your tax documents. Saha left feeling confident that he could complete his return on his own next year and is appreciative of the service. “It was the first time I was submitting my tax return and I had no idea how to actually do it. I could have gone somewhere else, but having it on campus was very useful.” Cassie MacKinley, a second year arts student and tax clinic volunteer, saw the potential and utility of the clinic. “I think it’s great. The services need to be offered so that people can get help for free. If you can go to H&R Block and pay 30 dollars, that’s great. But if you’re only getting a 20 dollar return, then it’s pointless. We’re doing it for free and helping you out and showing you, so you might be able to do it on your own.” Solte advises any student completing their return by themselves to visit the CRA website, www.cra-arc.gc.ca, for useful information. She expects the clinic, which helped many students much like Saha, to become an annual event.
Annual General Meeting
Sunday April 18 2:00 p.m. Location: In the bar
Members Only