Ohio State’s Student Wellness Center will offer free and anonymous walk-in HIV testing Wednesday in the basement of Derby Hall from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The test takes between 20 and 40 minutes to process, and students receive their results on the spot.

One in every 250 college students is HIV-positive, and 90 percent of them do not know it, said Katye Miller, program coordinator at the Student Wellness Center.

“A lot of college students know about HIV, but I think they still believe in the myths and the stereotypes,” she said. “It’s now a human disease; it’s not necessarily a disease that just affects gay males … or specific populations, it affects every human being.”

HIV is a virus that leads to AIDS, and only four bodily fluids can transmit HIV: blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk, Miller said.

Miller said HIV can be spread through numerous activities, including any sort of sexual contact, intravenous drug use or shared needles for tattoos or piercings.

For college students, however, the biggest risk factor is unprotected sex, she said.

“Anybody who is sexually active is at risk and should be tested,” said Rebecca Cohen, an HIV test counselor who is in her second year of medical school at OSU.

She said the test done at the Wellness Center uses a cotton swab to extract cells from the gum line to test for HIV antibodies and does not involve any needles or blood.

Antibodies are the cells the body creates to try to fight off HIV. If someone has the antibodies in their body, that means they have the virus, Miller said.

The problem, however, is that it takes the body a certain amount of time to begin creating these antibodies.

Consequently, if someone becomes infected with HIV today, it will take between three and six months for their body to produce the antibodies that will show up on a test. This is known as the “window period,” Miller said.

Because of this “window period” it is important that students get tested regularly, she said.

Students who are sexually active and often have unprotected sex should get tested every three to six months, while other students should get tested yearly, Miller said.

If someone tests positive at the Wellness Center, the counselor provides them with all the information they need, including facts about the disease, where to go for a confirmatory test and counseling options.

“We give them the resources, but since it’s completely anonymous it’s up to them to take it to the next step, and we are there to guide them if they need it,” Miller said.

Brian Steiner, an HIV test counselor and an office coordinator in the engineering department, said alcohol consumption can help create a big risk factor for college students.

He said when students are drinking and having fun they can get caught up in the moment and not recognize the need to use a condom during sex.

“The thing about HIV is if you use condoms 10 times in a row, but then don’t use them one night, you’re still at risk,” Steiner said. “It only takes one time.”

The Wellness Center also offers free HIV antibody tests by appointment four days per week in its office, room B130 in the Recreation and Physical Activity Center.

For more information about HIV testing, contact the Wellness Center at 292-4527 or visit its Web site, swc.osu.edu.

Lindsay Betz can be reached at [email protected].