Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Kenney: growing ol By.SHARON EDSALL Staff Writer There is a rapidly growing epidemic on campus according to Dr. Barbara Kenney of the Student Health Service. The disease is VD--specifically gonorrhea. According to Dr. Kenney, venereal disease is "starting to become somewhat resistent to the usual method of treatment, antibiotics. The resistence is probably because so many students have the disease but are unaware of it due to lack of symptoms. Thus they delay ob taining treatment." Gonorrhea is easily treated and Dr. Kenney stressed that culture tests are available to anyone and they are strictly confidential. Students with a positive reading are asked to come back for a second test. Cultures and treat ment may be obtained con fidentially at either the Student Health Service or the VD Clinic at Richland County Health Depart ment, 1221 Gregg St. Anyone who suspects having gonorrhea should at least have the culture test, Dr. Kenney said. If treated in its early stages, gonorrhea can be cured com pletely in a matter of weeks. Contracting VD is nothing to be ashamed of she said; it's just as common as measles. Dr. Kenney cited factors to help students detect the disease: "In men, although the disease usually shows symptoms such as discharge or pain on urination within 2-6 days of contracting the disease, it may be carried asymptomatically but be capable of spreading to others for several months. It can frequently be cultured even in the absense of any symptoms. "In women, the vast majority have no symptoms at all until the disease begins to cause deep in fections and possible internal damage, although a few may have slight discharge, burning on urination or an accompanying bladder infection. Thus the women depend either on being told by contacts of their chance of in fection or on having a culture done as a screening procedure. A good culture needs to be taken to check for the disease as a smear examined with a microscope may not pick it up. Tonight: Russell House Theatre "A Star Is Born" e *d 0 4 epidemic ri campus "We have found up to 50 per cen of women without symptoms 01 known contact with VD still have i when screened with a culture," she said. . ' Dr. Kenney added that certail hormones, such as those in birtd control pills, greatly increase tht chance of contracting VD from 4 per cent to nearly 100 per cent. It ii important, then, to obtain periodic checkups, she said. Treatment is the only way t< wipe out VD Dr. Kenney said, anc with the easy availability o treatment, there is no excuse foi ignoring it. .lM C T] S4 WH(4 TO] WI - 27th Amendment proposed Equal Rights The U.S. Senate vote on the Equal Rights Amend ment (ERA) for women has been set for tomorrow with both South Carolina senators tentatively sup porting the amendment. The House of Representatives passed last October 354-23 Rep. Martha Griffiths' "pure form" ERA which states, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." The proposed 27th Amendment may be defeated again this year in the Senate because of six nullifying amendments proposed by @en. Sam Erwin of North Carolina. Erwin's amendments probably would provide loopholes based on differences in "health and safety" occupational requirements. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., was unavailable for comment, but a press secretary, Joan McKinney, said Hollings is leaning toward Erwin's amendemnts. She said the senator has reservations on the "pure form " ERA. If a simple yes-no vote must be made on the constitutional amendment, Hollings will vote in .14 -IE INTRFAT .ROIT GREE.l bPPR CONTEV BIE INERDFATA3: EDNESDAY, MAIl COLLEGE i Opposite Drayton Hall COLUMBL vote set favor of it, she said. McKinney said the senator tends to oppose the ERA because he thinks the 14th Amendment guarantees women the equal rights that the ERA would. "Sen Hollings feels that he personally has a decent record in hiring practices and he gives other employers credit for nondiscriminatory practices also," she said. A spokesman for Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. said the senator "will most likely" support the "pure form" ERA. Press Secretary Edward Harrill said Thurmond supports "one or two" of Erwin's amendments. "The senator supports the amendment which would exempt women from the draft," Harrill said. "He feels that Congress already has the authority to draft women and that without this amendment the ERA would tie Congress' hands." The "pure form" ERA now has 47 strong sup porters, and if any amendment is added, the ERA will probably die again this year. TCWp ERNTY 4iWE ATING ST4 ~J LTCH2 STREET & Camupus Horseshoe 1, S.C.