Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1978)
m tlllA^M services limited 'm Gynecologic care ilcadliii(, >C, wod IcLciinu hile 8 p.ni, lone," 1J lice, 7:30 J 'ffice si f space J By FLA VIA KRONE The first gynecologic health care 1 ^cisbrogram for women students at )n hecanfexas A&M University was initiated 3ns wli(|,n 1974 by Student Health Services ‘fall, irector, Dr. C. B. Goswick. Before 1974, gynecologic health ~"~''yare was not available at Texas A&M \ ' (Diversity. PC The program includes routine of- ce gynecology, birth control pre- oription, pregnancy testing, and icral disease screening. Expansion of in-house laboratory lities makes it possible for the center to offer pelvic exam- tions, including papanicolaou IlP) smears, and to diagnose and reatsimple urinary, genital and vag- il infections. These services are free to all romen students at Texas A&M. The health center also retains the {vices of a local gynecologist who ill dents with more complex oblems. piis service is free to women stu- jnts when the appointment is ar- ged by Student Health Services. Women students can also obtain a rth control prescription at the salth center. However, there is a catch. Although a health center physi- ian will prescribe birth control, the ealth center pharmacy does not pense contraceptives. \ccording to Goswick, the phar- cy stocks only those drugs that are ;d to treat acute, short-term icsses. Birth control pills do not fall in it category,” Goswick said. Expense and lack of space also ihibit the pharmacy from stocking 1 contraceptives, he added. This means that women who ob- i a prescription for birth control s from Student Health Services sthave it filled at an off-campus irmacy. The average price for a Be month supply of birth control Ills in the Bryan-College Station is $3. pecause of this expense, the Jth center refers students seeking th control to the Planned Par- ood Center at 301 N. Patricia, ;e Station. ost students will qualify for free ices at Planned Parenthood, said ly Miller, a nurse practitioner at center. tudents who do not qualify for services are charged $15, plus cost of the birth control pills or The Planned Parenthood Center offers a physical examination, PAP smear, veneral disease screening and a six months supply of birth con trol pills or other contraceptive de vice to students seeking conception control. Miller said that the center will also screen for and try to treat simple vag inal infections. More complex prob lems are referred back to Student Health Services. In addition to routine gynecology and birth control prescription^ Stu dent Health Services also offers pregnancy testing and veneral dis ease screening. In the case of unwanted preg nancy, counseling is stressed. Per sonal counseling services on campus offers this type of counseling to Uni versity students. The health center will not make specific referrals for abortion even at the woman’s request, according to Goswick. “That’s just too much,” he said. However, the health center will provide the student with a list of clinics which do handle unwanted pregnancies. With many universities now offer ing complete gynecology clinics and the enrollment of women at Texas A&M approaching 10,000, the Stu dent Health Services has no im mediate plans to expand gynecologic health care here. According to Assistant Director of Student Affairs, Toby Rives, Texas A&M women are “lucky” to have the services now available. The major obstacle blocking the expansion of a health care program for women is understaffing, Rives said. Goswick agreed with Rives. “We are definitely understaffed,” he said. Nationally, most universities have about one doctor for every 2,000 stu dents. At Texas A&M the ratio is about one doctor for every 4,500 stu dents, according to Goswick. “We are so busy seeing sick people that we don’t have time, unfortu nately, to practice preventive medicine,” he said. Goswick added that there is a “dis tinct possibility” for a gynecology clinic at Texas A&M sometime in the future. JinS ride Gynecology important to women, says book How important is a gynecologist to most women? According to Thomas H. Green, Jr., M.D., associate clin ical professor of gynecology at Harvard Medical School, gynecologists serve not only as specialist-consultants but also as primary care physicians for the majority of women in the United States. In his book, “Gynecology, Es sentials of Clinical Practice,” Green states that “at least 25 percent of all malignant disease in women arises in the genital tract.” Furthermore, Green says that female genital cancer is easy to detect during a routine examina tion and PAP smear. If discov ered early, the “cure rates are potentially the highest of any area of the body,” Green says. Aralyn H. Cepeda, adminis trator of The Ladies Center in Austin, estimates that 80 percent of all disease in women is gynecologically related. Cepeda recommends that women over 18 have an annual medical examination and PAP smear. Besides early detection of cer vical cancer, a complete exam ination can reveal other disor ders of the pelvis, breasts and thyroid glands, according to Cepeda. Sexually active women should also be screened for venereal disease. “Gonorrhea is more common than the common cold,” Cepeda says. The problem is compounded for women because they often cannot tell whether or not they have the disease, according to Cepeda. blitical talks planned By ANDY WILLIAMS hree of Texas A&M’s largest litical organizations are planning ategies and programs for the ing, mainly aiming at the two ijor party primaries scheduled for ; first week of May. George Bush, former head of the ntral Intelligence Agency, heads a : of speakers expected to appear on npus this semester. Bush has ac- pted an invitation from the Col- ;e Republicans, says Kathy Kim- 11, president of that group. No date s been set for his talk. The College Republicans and the bung Americans for Freedom (a nservative youth group) plan cam- igns to drum up student interest in ecific issues. The Young Democrats, on the erhand, prefer to publicize their party’s candidates. “We have such a large primary coming up that we de cided our responsibility was to familiarize the students with the par ty’s candidates,” said Fred Suther land, vice-president in charge of Young Democrat programs. The College Republicans plan to campaign for a Congressional bill which would allow college students to deduct a portion of their tuition costs from their income tax, Kimball said. She said the group planned to emphasize this issue because it “is probably the closest one to the stu dents.” The Young Americans for Free dom are concentrating on a petition opposing the proposed Panama Canal treaty, said their president, Mark Elam. “We feel very strongly that any treaty that would transfer control of the canal to the Panamanians would be unwise,” he said. Three Democratic candidates running for retiring Congressman Olin Teague’s seat have been lined up to speak by the Young Demo crats, Sutherland said. Texas A&M economics professor Dr. Phil Gramm is expected to speak on cam pus in early February, Chet Ed wards in early March. Sutherland added that Don McNeil is scheduled for March 7. On the Republican side in that race, Wes Maury is expected to an nounce his candidacy in his appear ance for the College Republicans Feb. 1, Kimball said. 7 > Now you Can Take A Special DISCOVERY PLIGHT... For only $10uOO! We're going all out to help you TAKEOFF to the kind of fun and adventure that only flying can add to your life. Our special Discovery Flight will do just that. For only $10.00 you'll get valuable instruction on the ground and an opportunity to actually fly an airplane under the expert guidance of a professional Cessna Pllof Center flight instructor. Come on out and start a new adventure. $10.00 pays for everything I When you have earned your Private Pilot's license, you're eligible to enter the $300,000 TakeOff Sweepstakes. See us for complete details. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Cessna^ MDT CENTER BRAZOS AVIATION EASTERWOOD AIRPORT • COLLEGE STATION 846-8767 THE BATT DOES IT DAILY Monday through Friday THE BATTALION Pag* 9 THURSDAY. JANUARY 26, 1976 DRINK & DROWN BEER WINE COKES NEXT TO SKAGGS THURSDAY (7:30-12:00) $3.50 - GUYS $Z50 - GIRLS EVERYONE WILL BE THERE! EARN over s 650A MONTH RIGHT THROUGH YOUR SBVORYEAR. if you’re a junior or a senior majoring in math, physics or engineering, the Navy has a program you should know about. It’s called the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate- Collegiate Program (NUPOC-C for short) and if you qualify, you can earn as much as $650 a month right through your senior year. Then after 16 weeks of Officer Candidate School, you’ll receive an additional year of advanced technical education, This would cost you thousands in a civilian school, but in the Navy, we pay you. And at the end of the year of trainihg, you’ll receive a $3,000 cash bonus. It isn’t easy. There are fewer than 400 openings and only one of every six applicants will be selected. But if you make it, you’ll have qualified for an elite engineering training program. With unequaled hands-on responsibility, a $24,000 salary in four years, and gilt-edged qualifications for jobs in private industry should you decide to leave the Navy later. (But we don’t think you’ll want to.) Ask your placement officer to set up an interview with a Navy representative when he visits the campus on January 24-27, or contact your Navy representative at 713-224-5897 (collect). If you prefer, send your resume to the Navy Nuclear Officer Program, Code 312-B468, 4015 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22203, and a Navy representative will contact you directly. The NUPOC-Collegiate Program. It can do more than help you finish college: it can lead to an exciting career opportunity. NAVY OFFICER. ITS NOT JUST A JOB, IT'S AN ADVENTURE. 7=y€tc rxic LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL TO DO THIS WEEKEND? COME CELEBRATE THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPLETELY NEW Basement Coffeehouse Returning to headline this special weekend is ... ★Bob French* and his “Texas Beer Song” hit — Friday & Saturday 8:00 p.m. January 27 & 28 Located at south entrance to the m/c / i/rMwnnn ... ROSS ... KENWOOD — SANSUi