Time is of the essence: please try to schedule a travel health appointment two months before your departure date. This is necessary as some travel immunisations take a few weeks before they are able to provide you with protection against infection. However, even if you are leaving in one or two weeks it is still recommended that you discuss your plans with a doctor. This is particularly relevant if you are travelling to a high risk area, for example parts of South East Asia and India, both of which are popular destinations for students.

Travel appointments with the doctor take thirty minutes and cost between $56.00 – 63.00. There will be additional charges for any immunisations the doctor may prescribe for you. It is important that that you are able to provide the doctor with your immunisation history. To obtain this information you may have to search for your Plunket Book or ask your family or your current and possibly your previous health centre. It is particularly helpful to know if you have had the following immunisations or diseases and when you had them:

- Tetanus\Diphtheria, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A and Chicken pox.

- When you see the doctor tell them about your health history including if you have any allergies. If your doctor prescribes travel immunisations you will also require an appointment with a nurse. You can either arrange to have this appointment straight after seeing the doctor or return to see the nurse another day. Often you are able to receive all the immunisations you require in one visit. Some students may require two or three visits to complete the immunisation course prescribed for them.
The doctor will also provide you with: written information regarding food and water safety, malaria prevention and common infections experienced by tourists such as travellers’ diarrhoea; prescriptions for any regular medication you take and other medications such as oral replacement salts, antibiotics to treat diarrhoea and urinary tract infections, tablets to help reduce the risk of contracting malaria, condoms and the emergency contraceptive pill; and general safety advice including how to deal with jet lag, sexual health, safe air travel.

If you are planning to go diving during your trip it is also recommended that you schedule another appointment at the SHS with a doctor for a Diving Medical. It is important to remember that it is dangerous to dive before air travel. You will need to wait at least 12 to 24 hours before flying.

If you are travelling to South America or Africa, planning long term travel, or if you may require immunisations for Yellow Fever, Rabies or Japanese Encephalitis we recommend that you make an appointment at The Travel Doctor rather than the SHS. This is because the those vaccinations need to administered from a specialist travel clinic by authorised staff. The Travel Doctor is located in the Grand Arcade, 14-16 Willis Street, telephone 473 0991. The Travel Doctor offers a 10 per cent discount off products such as insect repellent and water purifying tablets for students with a current Victoria University Identification Card.

When the outside temperature is less-than-balmy, the wind howling or the rain thrashing the motivation required to get that body movin’ can be somewhat in lacking. We all know exercise is pretty good for us, right? Aside from the obvious effects of fitness and weight reduction, did you know that exercise can also help you with:
Your bowels: A recent study has shown that increasing one’s physical activity levels can be effective in decreasing the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (Johannesson et al. 2011). This is a chronic condition which causes discomforting symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. If symptoms persist—make an appointment with your doctor.

Pain control: Physical activity produces those good chemicals called endorphins in the brain. These are so strong that they decrease pain perception levels in the brain, i.e. acting as the body’s natural painkillers particularly for musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain (Linton, Hellsing and Bergström, 1996).

Your mood: Being at university can be tough at times and stress can play a big part in the life of a student, whether from assignments, exams or home-sickness. In addition to acting as a healthy distraction, exercise can lift low moods and assist with the relief of depression. This is due to the release of endorphins, and other feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline. In some instances, exercise can be as effective in treating depression as medication (Stein and Motta, 1992).

For women—Menstruation symptoms: A study involving 250 University students has indicated that 90 minutes of exercise, twice per week at 50-70 per cent of maximum heart rate can be effective in reducing symptoms associated with menstruation. These included psychological and physical premenstrual symptoms and menstrual cramps (Jahromi et al., 2008).

The general rule for adults to maintain health is 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. heartfoundation.org.nz/uploads/A5_Physical_Activity_08_06.pdf . Some sources recommend 20 minutes of vigorous activity three days a week, plus muscle strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

Hopefully the above evidence can provide a little extra motivation to get you going on those days when you just don’t feel like it.
How to increase your activity?
• Do your own thing – go for a walk or a run, or race your flatmates around the block or up the stairs.
• Check out the Recreation Centre on the Kelburn or Pipitea campus union.vuw.ac.nz/reccentre The friendly staff members are there to help you if you need it!
• Health/Counselling/Recreation Centre offer a supported exercise programme for students with low mood and motivation – ‘Lifting Our Spirits’ victoria.ac.nz/st_services/counselling/resources/healthy-minds-at-vic.pdf
• Join one of the many sports clubs on campus vuwsa.org.nz/clubs/clubs-directory/

If you have any questions about previous injuries or your ability to exercise contact us at the Physiotherapy Clinic on Level One of the Student Union building.

If the volume through headphones is too high and if you are listening for long hours, there is a real risk of permanent hearing damage.
To determine if you are at risk for music-induced hearing loss from wearing your personal stereo system, it would be necessary to know how loud your particular system is and how long you use it each day. This is very difficult as systems vary in output. It is important to follow these simple steps to protect yourself from a permanent music-induced hearing loss due to personal stereo systems use.

• Always follow the 60\60 Rule: Researchers determined that the exposure limit for safe headphone listening is one hour a day with the volume no higher that 60 per cent. If you listen for more than an hour, you should turn the volume down.
• Ear muff type headphones are better than Ear buds: Unfortunately, the ear buds preferred by music listeners are even more likely to cause hearing loss than the muff-type earphones that were associated with the older devices.
• Turn it Down: Use a well-shielded earphone/earbud and turn the volume down as much as possible.
• Take a Break: Avoid prolonged, continuous listening to the systems by taking frequent breaks.
• Avoid: using the personal stereo while exercising (you may maintain a high volume as you are exercising) or if your work already involves head phone usage and/or loud noises or music exposure. This means you may exceed the permissible daily noise dosage.
• “Automatic Volume Limiter”: Look for personal stereo system with an “Automatic Volume Limiter’ which limits the output of the system to safe levels.
• Do not ‘block out’ the noise: Set your system at a comfortable level in a quiet room. Do not turn it up when you are in noisy setting to ‘block out’ the noise
• Do not interchange headsets with systems: The League for the Hard of Hearing has found that this will increase output and risk to hearing.
• Follow this simple rule of thumb: If you cannot hear other people talking when you are wearing headphones or if other people have to shout to you to be heard at one metre
away while the headphones are on, it is too loud and could be damaging to your hearing.

If you hear ringing or buzzing sounds in your ears or you find speech sounds muffled, discontinue using your personal stereo and get your hearing checked by a qualified audiologist.

For instance, there are many potential physical health impacts. A variety of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or alternatively the side effects of antibiotics given to prevent STIs, are possible. In the case of the female assault victim, there is the added risk of pregnancy, miscarriage, termination, or alternatively the (albeit mild) effects of the emergency contraception pill given to prevent pregnancy. In addition, a variety of injuries have been documented (but are not usual in presentations to SAATS) as being caused by sexual assault.

Of considerable concern are psychological harms which have been documented as being caused by sexual assault, but it is important to be clear that these are potential harms only because people react differently to different stressors.

Does it hurt or help to know about potential psychological harms? And again the answer is both. It helps because if we know that these effects have been documented as normal responses to a traumatic situation, then we know that with the right assistance we can work through them. It hurts because knowing about potential effects can have self-fulfilling outcomes and the knowledge itself can be oppressive.

Unsurprisingly, sexual assault may cause post-traumatic stress in the form of Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS). For some, acute phase RTS symptoms, including fear and clinical shock, may be wide-ranging. These and other effects are exacerbated by:
• Social forces­ especially rape mythology
• Threats and force used during the rape and the commonly expressed fear of dying
• These may cause complete disorganisation of people’s lives in the immediate aftermath of rape.
Beyond the immediate psychological impacts, there is potential for long-term effects such as: sexual dysfunction, phobic reactions, intrusive thoughts and fear of solitude, or conversely withdrawal and social isolation. These can lead to compromised ability to function in usual work and social roles and therefore economic and social disadvantage.

Such disadvantage has also been clearly demonstrated in relation to childhood sexual assault/abuse. Children who have been sexually abused and leave home without the means of survival, in having been sexualised, may sell sex in order to live. If alcohol and drugs are accessed in coping with the consequences of this decision, this compounds the economic and social disadvantage.

Other long-term effects include the many possible somatically induced physical health effects which can occur due to the effects of severe stress on the immune system. These occur particularly if disclosures are inadequately responded to. It is evident then that sexual assault is a significant event warranting an equally significant systems response. I will talk about the medical/forensic response in my third and final article.

Does it help or hurt to know this? Well, both. Sexual assault affects all women, not just the direct victims. If we know about the risk factors, as women we can keep ourselves safe by staying at home, not working late hours, not drinking—in other words, we can limit our lives until we have no life. That hurts! And it won’t work!

It won’t work because sexual assault is not usually committed by strangers. This certainly does happen, but for the most part men will assault women who are their flatmates, partners, acquaintances, dates, sisters, daughters and step relatives. And serial rapists are simply men who have perfected ways to achieve sexual access irrespective of situational ethics and your consent.

Here’s how. He will meet you at a bar, cafe, party—anywhere. You will like him because he can be charming—some may say manipulative. He will ask if you would like to go somewhere else with him tonight or meet again and you will agree. Having carefully chosen his location to minimise others’ interference and your resistance, he will coerce you sexually. And you will doubt yourself and doubt your memory of how it went down because he will say you led him on, you consented, or it didn’t happen that way. And worse, if you agree to go anywhere with him, his defence team will argue, and usually successfully, that everything that happened from that moment on was consensual.

As women, how do we get the balance right between keeping ourselves safe and limiting our lives to the point of compromising self-actualisation? Can we trust and like men, while also developing a scrutinising eye for men who are sexual predators? Are these even the right questions to be asking?

Or are the questions better asked of men and by men? For instance, as men, how do you manage the cognitive dissonance which, as women, we are sure you must have if you suborn the will of our mothers, sisters, friends, and daughters to your sexual needs? As men, how do you not understand our right of control over our bodies? As men, how do you not understand the great harm that you do us?

In my next article on sexual assault, I will talk more about this harm. *
Linda Beckett (PhD)

Group Exercise is a highly motivating and fun way to work out and the Recreation Centre has a great range of 12pm and 1pm lunchtime classes on offer from Pilates and Yoga through to Mega Danz and Step. These 50 minute classes cater for all fitness levels and abilities and it doesn’t matter if you are experienced or a complete beginner as the staff at the Recreation Centre are always welcoming and friendly and can help get you started straight away.

Exercise has so many proven positive benefits, it lifts your mood and concentration, helps you sleep, and also improves body image, lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and strengthens your immune system to name just a few. So why not get involved?

The Group Exercise instructing team at the Recreation Centre is one of the best in Wellington and the memberships are such amazing value for money.
A 12 month Group Exercise Student membership is only $85 and this allows you to attend as many Group Exercise classes per week as you wish. It really is an opportunity not to be missed while studying at Vic.

The Recreation Centre is extremely lucky to have Arlene Thomas Hewitt on board their instructing team teaching three lunchtime Group Exercise classes per week. Arlene is a former Aerobics Champion and won the New Zealand title eleven times in a row and also won the title as world champion in 1997! Arlene is currently a Master Trainer for Radical Fitness and has been teaching, coaching and choreographing classes for 20 years. Arlene teaches Tuesday 12pm X55 and 1pm Oxigeno and Thursday 1pm Mega Danz and all of her classes are very highly recommended.

• X55 is an athletic, high energy workout for those who want to focus on improving their fitness, achieve weight loss, and increase muscle tone in their body. The music is fantastic and definitely helps you push through the squats and lunges.
• Oxigeno combines the best of Yoga, Pilates and Ballet and is the perfect class to attend to de-stress, stretch, and relax. The music is beautiful and the stretching sequences really help to calm the mind.
• Mega Danz is a fun- filled dance class combining many different styles of dance from Latin through to Hip Hip. You’ll be having such a great time dancing that working out will no longer feel like a chore.

As well as these fantastic Group Exercise classes the Recreation Centre provides all kinds of other Sport and Fitness related activities for everyone.

For more information on Group Exercise and our other services check out the website or contact: meredith.price@vuw.ac.nz

When someone ends up having sex against their wishes it isn’t just one of those expected experiences in life. It is sexual assault.

Potential effects of sexual assault on the victim include:

• low self esteem
• drug and alcohol abuse
• depression/anxiety
• general distrust
• fear
• dysfunctional destructive personal relationships
• fear for the safety of their children

The accused person, whether they are innocent or guilty, can ponder the prospect of:

• 20 years maximum prison penalty for rape
• 20 years maximum penalty for unlawful sexual connection
• Substantial legal costs, and a in small country such as New Zealand,
• a lifetime social stigma which may include their friends, family and work colleagues

Factors which can increase a person’s risk of experiencing a sexual assault include:

• Impaired judgement related to the effects of alcohol and drug use
• Separation from friends who care about you
• Taking unnecessary risks such as trusting people you would not necessarily trust if you were sober or drug-free
• Age—most sexual assault complaints involve young people who are known to each other or move within similar social circles

Issues related to consent

Consent is when a sober and rational person is situated so as to be able to make a rational decision upon the matter to which he or she consents. Being asleep on a couch after a night of drinking in town does not mean you are consenting to have sex. Using aggressive or threatening behaviour to intimidate someone into having sex is wrong. Ignoring a person’s verbal and non-verbal requests to stop is sexual assault. Consent can be withdrawn after starting to have sex.

When sex is consensual it is expected that people are able to negotiate boundaries, including what type of sex they are comfortable with having and when and where they have sex. Someone does not respect or love or even care for you if they expect you to have sex when they know you do not want to.

To protect yourself and your future, do not have sex with any one without their consent. To help reduce risk of sexual assault, make a safety plan before you go into town, to a party or use alcohol and other mind-altering drugs. Stick to the plan. Know how you are going to get home safely. Stay with people you trust, be aware of how much alcohol you are drinking, eat food and keep an eye on your glass. If walking home, stay together and keep to main streets, taking ‘shortcuts’ through parks and dimly lit lanes is not a good idea.

The police provide 24-hour expert care for anyone who has been assaulted. If a sexual assault occurs, dial 111 to contact the police as soon as you can. Where possible, a victim should preserve their clothing unwashed and hold off having a shower and going to the toilet until they have spoken to police. The police have a close working relationship with Rape Crisis—they offer counselling and support throughout the process no matter what a victim decides is right for them.

The police will also be able to arrange specialist medical care which may involve treatment for physical injuries, the administration of prophylactic antibiotics to protect against some STIs, and if appropriate, the emergency contraceptive pill to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Contacting the police does not mean you have to lay charges.

During working hours you can contact the Student Health Service, 463 5308. You can also contact Constable Baz Murfin, who is the Community Police Officer for Victoria University
on 381 2001 or at barry.murfin@police.govt.nz.

One way of treating symptoms of anxiety and depression and improving your general health is taking part in regular physical activity. If the benefits of physical activity could be received by taking a tablet, people would be rushing to make an appointment with their doctor to request a prescription.

Sometimes it can be difficult to fight against inactivity, especially when you are tired and overwhelmed by commitments. Student life, including thinking and sitting in lecture theatres, in the library, or in front of a computer screen, can leave you feeling exhausted and contribute to symptoms of stress and fatigue. Common ways used to cope with these symptoms include reaching out for nicotine, strong coffee, alcohol and stimulants which can actually make people feel worse. However, the good news is that recreation is an effective option.

Regular physical activity helps you feel better because it:
• Lowers your stress and boosts your mood.
• Increases your strength, movement, balance and flexibility.
• Helps control blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Helps build healthy bones, muscles and joints.
• Helps your heart and lungs work better.
• Improves your self-esteem.
• Boosts energy during the day and may aid in sleep at night.

Aerobic exercise, like walking, is great as it improves the oxygen capacity of the lungs and heart. It also improves blood circulation to the brain. Exercising thirty minutes a day, three to four times a week, can improve your aerobic capacity.

Mind and body exercises are also very beneficial for the brain. They are fantastic for reducing stress, improving clarity and energising the body both physically and mentally. These exercises include stretch and muscle strengthening classes such as Yoga, Pilates and Oxigeno.

The Recreation Centres on campus offer a wide variety of exercise options, classes and activities. The staff at the Recreation Centre are experienced, knowledgeable and very approachable. The main centre is on the Kelburn Campus with a smaller centre in the basement of Rutherford House on the Pipitea Campus.

The Recreation Centre also has an Activities Programme which includes scuba diving, horse trekking, mountain biking, paintball games, skiing trips, sea kayaking, canoeing and dance classes. Other activities include walks around the Wellington region, which is a great way to find out more about the local environment and to meet other students.

We often forget that the brain is part of the body; it has its own physical needs. Ensuring that you get some regular exercise will help you achieve a dynamic and well functioning brain and help you to feel happier and able to study better. If you would like any more information on the programmes offered by Recreation Services, please drop by, call 463 6614 or visit union.vuw.ac.nz/reccentre/.

Two excellent New Zealand-based websites with helpful information regarding depression and how to get through it are www.thelowdown.co.nz and www.depression.org.nz.

I was living with flatmates who were really nice, but they were not quite sure how to help look after me. Thankfully, a nursing friend appeared to care for me just like my own Florence Nightingale. This was a huge relief because I was basically incapable of looking after myself. She prepared soups and drinks, checked my temperature and gave me paracetamol to treat the fever and pain associated with the flu. I remember drifting in and out of sleep hoping that I would get better soon. It took over two weeks to recover.

While I was studying, I was also nursing at a health service in town. That Autumn I had been happily vaccinating patients who were at increased risk of complications from the flu, including people over 65 years of age and those with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. I thought I was young and healthy and I assumed my robust immune system and a positive outlook would protect me. I told myself that even if I did get the flu I would recover in record time, and I even consider that the experience would be a good challenge for my body. I was not alone with these beliefs, as many of the nurses and doctors I worked with in the 1990s did not have the flu vaccine. This has changed.

Looking back over my medical history I would have to rate the flu and chemotherapy, which I have also had, at a similar level. Now as soon as the flu vaccine arrives at Student Health, the staff start to vaccinate each other. Since I have had an annual flu vaccine I have not had the flu again.

Thanks to funding from VUWSA and flu vaccination clinics in the Residential Halls, on campus and at the Student Health Service, we have vaccinated over 2000 students. This is great because it is very hard to avoid the flu, considering people who have the flu are contagious a day before they develop symptoms. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself from the flu.

Steps you can take to prepare for flu season include stocking up on a few essential items, such as:

• Tissues
• Canned foods, including soups, fruit, juices and jelly
• Paracetamol, which is cheaper on prescription from your doctor
• Have your own thermometer
• If you live away from home make sure your friends or flatmates have the contact details of your family
• Know where to get information regarding the flu
• Student Health Service: www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/health/ Telephone 463 5308
• Healthline on 0800 611 116, for 24-hour advice from a registered nurse
• Ministry of Health website: www.moh.govt.nz/influenza-a-h1n1

What to do if someone does get the flu:

• They should stay in their room to prevent spreading the infection to others. However, they need to be checked on frequently to make sure they have not developed any serious complications or other conditions such as meningitis.

• Prevent dehydration by ensuring the person drinks at least 2L of fluid a day. Recommended fluids include diluted fruit juice and soft drinks, sport drinks and Lucozade. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as these both make dehydration worse.

• Normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. Having a fever can feel terrible and is potentially dangerous. Treat fever with regular paracetamol (take one or two 500mg tablets every 4-6 hours. Maximum adult dose is eight tablets in 24 hours.

Seek medical advice if you notice any of the following:

• Difficulty with, or noisy breathing or shortness of breath.
• Pain or pressure in the chest or stomach.
• Confusion or disorientation.
• Coughing up bloody sputum.
• Severe vomiting or vomiting that does not go away.
• If symptoms are worsening rather than improving.

The vaccine is still available for free at the Student Health for students with ongoing health issues, such as people who have asthma and take a regular preventer inhaler, diabetes, people with a body mass index of 35 or greater, autoimmune conditions, or women who are pregnant. Otherwise there is an $18 charge.

Being fit and healthy will not protect you from the flu. Influenza is not just a bad cold, it can be serious and potentially fatal. Immunisation is your best protection and it helps to improve your body’s defence against influenza. For more information about the flu vaccine call, 0800 466 863, text “flu” to 515, visit www.fightflu.co.nz or contact Student Health.

The Student Health Service (SHS) offers all current students free or low-cost sexual health consultations at our clinics on the Kelburn and Pipitea campuses.

Worried about having a check? Don’t be, we will be able to put you at ease about how simple and quick a sexual health check can be.

When to have a sexual health check

Typically people come when they are worried that they have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or they are experiencing unusual symptoms. Other times when it is recommended to have an STI check is at the beginning of a new relationship or after the end of a relationship. Some STIs do not have symptoms, which means that having no symptoms does not necessarily mean that you do not have an infection. For your own peace of mind and for your health and the health of your sexual partner/s it is recommended that you have a check.

Incubation Times

Incubation time refers to the time from when you may have been infected with an STI until you can be tested for its presence. Generally STIs can be divided into two groups: those which we can test for in three weeks and those which need to be tested for in three months. Therefore, if you are seen at the SHS soon after having unprotected sex, e.g. the next day and you have no symptoms, you will probably be advised to return for a check in three weeks. Due to their longer incubation times, sexual health blood tests are recommended three months after potential exposure. Blood tests can check for the presence of infections such as syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and HIV.

What is involved when you have a Sexual Health Check?

Your privacy and dignity are of utmost importance to us. We know how daunting it can be to make that first appointment. You can bring a friend, and you can ask for a chaperone. Consultation with the nurse or doctor starts with history taking. This clinical information helps us to decide which tests we would recommend for you to have.

Before you are examined the procedure will be explained so there will be no surprises. Typically the physical examination involves checking the genital area. For women, swabs will be taken from the vagina and cervix and a urine test may be requested. Men will require a chlamydia urine test and occasionally (not routinely) a swab may be required. To ensure the test is accurate it is recommended that the tests be taken at least two hours after you have last passed urine.

All students can be seen at the SHS. Sexual health checks are generally free for students aged under 25. International students are generally eligible for a free doctor/nurse check, but do need to pay for any lab tests required.

To make an appointment at the Kelburn Campus call 463 5308, and for the Pipitea Campus call 463 7474.

Other options include seeing your Medical Centre, a Family Planning (FP) Clinic or the Sexual Health Service at 275 Cuba Street, Te Aro. The Sexual Health Service is a free service and they also have clinics in Lower Hutt and Porirua, their telephone number is 0800 188 881.

If you have any questions about any aspects of your health, including sexual or reproductive health, please make an appointment at the SHS. You can be confident that you will be provided with skilled and sensitive professional care from our doctors and nurses.

Useful websites
For information regarding STIs:
Auckland Sexual Health Service www.ashs.org.nz

For information about STIs and FP clinic locations:
FP New Zealand www.familyplanning.org.nz

The Student Health Service (SHS) is staffed by fully qualified experienced doctors and nurses. Our central clinic is located on the Kelburn campus with a satellite clinic operating five days per week at Pipitea campus. The SHS offers all the services you would expect from a regular medical centre, including:

 
Preventative Care—such as blood pressure checks and cholesterol testing, cervical screening, mole checks, health education, advice regarding contraception and sexual and reproductive health, travel health (including the administration of the most commonly required vaccinations), immigration, and diving medicals. The HPV vaccine, to help prevent cervical cancer, is available (www.cervicalcancervaccine.govt.nz). The vaccine is free for all women born from 1990.

The seasonal influenza vaccine is now available from 1st March.  The vaccine will provide protection from three strains of influenza, including the H1N1/09 (swine flu) strain. We strongly recommend you consider getting immunised.
 
Illness and Injury Care—assessment, diagnosis, offering treatment, advice, and when necessary, referral to medical specialists for injuries, infections and acute illness. We also have a dedicated Student Health Plus nurse (Long Term Conditions) who does see students for ongoing health conditions, for example, diabetes, asthma, depression, and anxiety.
 
Other Services—smoking cessation appointments, emergency contraceptive pill, hearing tests, liquid nitrogen, minor surgery, nutritional advice, and pregnancy tests.
 
Specialist appointments —dermatologist (skin specialist), endocrinologist, dietician, and a psychiatrist are available at our main clinic on the Kelburn Campus via referral from our doctors. 

We are a Very Low Cost Access practice and you have the option of enrolling with Capital PHO through Student Health, which will substantially reduce the cost of your healthcare.
 
Some useful tips about our service, because there are some 25,000 students at Victoria and not that many doctors and nurses:

• Book ahead for routine appointments.
• Once you find a nurse and doctor you are comfortable with ask to have your appointments with them.  This will promote continuity of care.
• Contact us as early as possible if you need to be seen that day.
• Seek help if you need support or want to discuss something you are worried about. We will work with you to help you feel better.
• Contact us to reschedule or cancel an appointment to save a $10 non attendance charge. 

 
Visit our website for details on locations, opening hours, services offered, and much more.
 
Please contact us regarding any comments you have regarding our service. We welcome your recommendations and appreciate any feedback you are able to provide. We want to be the best Student Health Clinic possible.

The good news is that the SHS offers free or low cost sexual health consultations at our clinics on the Kelburn and Pipitea campuses. We are also able to provide contraceptive, advice including the emergency contraceptive pill, condoms, dams, pregnancy tests and cervical screening. Now how convenient is that?

Often before students make it to one of our clinics they have spent time online looking up information or talking with friends. Two New Zealand-based websites which you may like to visit are the ones maintained by Family Planning (FP) NZ and the Auckland Sexual Health Service (ASHS). The FP site has information regarding contraception and unplanned pregnancy, including free and downloadable pamphlets. www.familyplanning.org.nz/OurClinics/NeedHelpNow.aspx

The ASHS site is full of useful information about the prevention, signs and symptoms and the treatment of STIs. www.ashs.org.nz If you have had enough of searching the internet and listening to stories from others, and you are ready to talk to someone about having a check, then make an appointment at SHS to speak with a nurse or a doctor. We will be able to put you at ease about how simple and quick a sexual health check can be.

When to have a Sexual Health Check

Whenever you would like to have one. Typically people present when they are worried that they have been exposed to an STI. This is usually when they have had sex with someone new, or if their relationship has broken up, especially if their partner was having sex with other people. Symptoms which usually motivate people to make an appointment include new or unusual lumps, blisters, sores, rashes or irritation around the genital area, pain or bleeding during or after sex or between periods, lower abdominal pain, unusual discharge or odour from the vagina or penis. Pain or burning when you pass urine can be either a urinary tract infection or an STI. However, some STIs have no symptoms. For example, most people who have chlamydia, which is the most common treatable sexually transmissible infection acquired in New Zealand,do not know they have it. If chlamydia is left untreated it can potentially cause infertility in both men and women. Chlamydia can be successfully treated by taking one dose of an oral antibiotic.

Incubation Times

Incubation time refers to the time from when you may have been infected with a STI until the signs and symptoms develop and you can be tested for its presence. Incubation times vary from a few days to a few months. Therefore if you are seen at the SHS soon after having unprotected sex, you may be advised by the nurse or doctor to return for a check in three weeks. If you have any concerns regarding infections such as HIV, Syphilis or Hepatitis B or C, which have a longer incubation times, it is recommended to be tested three months after any potential exposure.

Emergency Contraception

If you require emergency contraception, the sooner we see you to discuss your options the better. The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is available for free at the SHS for students under twenty five years and at a low cost for others. The ECP can be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, but the earlier it is given the more effective it is in preventing pregnancy. If you require the ECP and the Student Health Service is closed, you can buy it over the counter from some pharmacies. You will need to have a consultation with a pharmacist and it will cost approximately $35-$40. Alternatively, you can visit the After Hours Medical Centre on Adelaide Road. If you are under twenty five years of age and if you let the receptionist know that is why you need to be seen, it will be free.

What is involved when you have a Sexual Health Check?

Your privacy and dignity are of utmost importance to us. We know how daunting it can be to make that first appointment. You can bring a friend, and you can ask for a chaperone. Consultation with the nurse or doctor starts with history taking. Don’t worry you will not be asked to divulge names or locations! You will be asked such things as: Have you had an STI check before? Do you have any concerns about a particular STI? Do you have any symptoms? How long have you been in your current relationship/when did you last have sex? What type of sexual activity have you had? – this clinical information helps us to decide which swab tests to take and where to take them from.

Before you are examined the procedure will be explained, so there will be no surprises. Typically, the physical examination involves checking the genital area. For women swabs will be taken from the vagina and cervix, and a urine test maybe be requested. Self-taken vaginal swabs to check for chlamydia are an option for females in some circumstances. Men will require a chlamydia urine test and occasionally, after discussion with the nurse or doctor, a swab maybe taken. The swab is very small. To ensure the swab test is accurate it is recommended that the tests be taken at least two hours after you have last passed urine. The swab tests look for infections such as gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis, which can be treated with antibiotics. It takes about two or three working days to get the results of your tests. Any blood tests are recommended three months after unprotected exposure, due to the longer incubation time of most viral infections.

To make an appointment for a sexual health check, call 463 5308 Kelburn Campus or 463 7474 Pipitea Campus. During your visit we can also prepare you a prescription for up to 144 condoms, which will cost only $3 at the pharmacy! You can choose between fruit, chocolate or strawberry flavoured, coloured, ribbed and textured, extra strength, ultra thin and plain condoms. Wow, so much choice. We also have some free condoms available in the waiting rooms.

We have dams available at the SHS. They are also available at D.VICE on the corner of Willis and Dixon Streets. They sell vanilla, strawberry and cola flavoured ones for $2 each.

If your partner also requires a check but they are not a student at Victoria University, they could visit their own medical centre, a Family Planning Clinic (FP) or the Sexual Health Service on Adelaide Road, Newtown. The Sexual Health Service is a free service and it is located in the same building as the After Hours Medical Centre. They also have clinics in Lower Hutt and Porirua, their telephone number is 0800 188 881.

If you have any questions about any aspects of your health including sexual or reproductive health please make an appointment at the SHS. You can be confident that you will be provided with skilled and sensitive professional care from our doctors and nurses.

Last year we provided 30,576 student appointments.

Student Health is not a fast food restaurant—we are more like fine dining

We know that you all have very busy lives. We do too. Help reduce your stress and ours by booking your routine appointments in advance. We know that it can be stressful running out of your contraceptive pill, asthma inhalers or antidepressant medication. By booking in advance you are more likely to be able to see the doctor or nurse of your choice, at a time which is convenient for you. Seeing the same nurse or doctor is helpful, as it promotes continuity of care and avoids having to explain your situation again to another health professional. Continuity of care promotes feelings of trust and support, and helps you successfully address issues affecting your health. Ultimately it will help you will feel better. People tend to go to the same hairdresser, petrol station, bars, cafés and shops. So find a doctor and nurse you feel comfortable with and stay with them. It is safer and you will feel happier. Please be aware that a number of our doctors are only available part-time, so plan ahead.

Help to make sure we do not miss seeing any very ill students we triage

We need to be available for students who are ill. We will offer you a same day routine booked appointment whenever possible. During busy times, especially in winter, routine appointments become fully booked. In order to provide safe and timely health care for students requesting same day care, we use a triage system to sort out clinical priority, eg. to make sure the sickest people get seen soonest.

Clinical priority is given to those in pain, injured, distressed, really unwell, and those requiring the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP). This means that all students seen on the same day will see one of our triage nurses first to be assessed, and then if necessary referred to see a doctor. This is not a “booked “appointment, it is a place in a clinical priority queue. Please do not get annoyed at the reception and nursing staff and say ‘I only want to see a doctor’, or ‘how long is it going to take?’ To ensure safe care for all those without a booked appointment who request same day care, everyone sees a nurse first.

How to save money—cancel your appointment if you no longer need it

We thought about this a lot, but at the end of last year we introduced a $10 charge for people who failed to arrive for an appointment without letting us know.

If a student does not arrive for an appointment it has implications for others. The clinics are very busy and the missed appointment could have been used by another student. It costs around $70 to provide each 15 minute appointment at Student Health Service. Wasting money and reducing income affects our capacity to provide services to you and other students. The nurse or doctor will wonder what happened to you and they may spend valuable time trying to contact you.

If you would like to avoid a charge for not attending an appointment, please contact us. It is easy to do. We have a cancellation line, just call 463 5308 and follow the options during business hours (Option 1—speak to our receptionist, Option 2—leave a cancellation message). If you are unable to call, you can email us after hours on student-health@vuw.ac.nz. Please note telephone messages and emails are only checked during working hours.

In summary, follow these tips below, help us to help you, and you will be happy!

-Book ahead for routine appointments, ask for the same doctor or nurse if possible.

-Contact us as early as possible if you need to be seen that day.

-Seek help if you need support or want to discuss something you are worried about. We will work with you to help you feel better.

-Contact us to reschedule or cancel an appointment to save a non attendance charge.

Please contact us regarding any comments you have regarding our service. We welcome your recommendations and appreciate any feedback you are able to provide. We want to be the best Student Health Clinic possible.

Visit www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/health/index.aspx for details on locations, opening hours, services offered, and much more.

Thank you to Jackson and the team at the Salient for the opportunity to write about our service in the Orientation Edition.

The Student Health Service (SHS) is here for you—so if you have any concerns regarding your health, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our clinics are staffed by highly skilled doctors and nurses, who enjoy working with the wide variety of students at Victoria. Our central clinic is located on the Kelburn campus with another fully staffed clinic based at Pipitea campus operating 5 days per week. We offer all the services you would expect from a regular medical centre, while also having an intimate knowledge of the culture of VUW and the reality of student life. Our clinical staff are professionally dedicated and have postgraduate qualifications in a variety of areas including mental health, travel health, dermatology, diabetes, asthma care, sexual health, and contraception.

The SHS is available to all students who have paid the compulsory Student Services Levy. The SHS belongs to Capital Primary Healthcare Organisation (PHO). To be enrolled as a patient (NZ residents only) all you have to do is to fill out some paperwork, which takes about one minute. You will be asked if you want us to be your main health care provider while you’re at VUW. There are many reasons why it would be helpful to choose us as your main health care centre; we are convenient, we provide lots of different services, and we specialise in the care of university students. If you are really happy with your current medical centre and you decide to stay enrolled with them you can still be seen at the SHS as a casual patient.

Healthcare available at the SHS includes:

Preventative Care: such as advice regarding sexual and reproductive health, cholesterol testing, cervical screening, mole checks, health education, and travel health including the administration of the most commonly required vaccinations.

Illness and Injury Care: assessment, diagnosis, offering treatment, advice, and when necessary referral to medical specialists for injuries, infections and acute illness. We also see students for on going health conditions for example diabetes, asthma, depression and anxiety.

Other Services: alcohol and drug issues, health checks, contraception including the emergency contraceptive pill, hearing tests, flu vaccines, liquid nitrogen, minor surgery, nutritional advice, pregnancy tests, immigration medicals, diving medicals, and more.

Specialist appointments: a dermatologist (skin specialist), endocrinologist, and psychiatrist are available at our main clinic on the Kelburn Campus via referral from one of our doctors.

We are a Very Low Cost Access practice. Therefore, if you’re enrolled with the PHO at SHS there will be no charge for a standard nurse or doctor appointment. Casual and International students will be charged between $15 and $55 per visit depending on whether or not they have a Community Services Card (direct billing for international students insured with Student Safe is available).

So enrolling at the Student Health Service sounds like a good idea to you?

To find out more please visit our website at: www.vuw.ac.nz/st_services/health or better still come and visit us in person.

Kelburn

4 Wai-te-ata Road, below the Library between Victoria Books and the Recreation Centre 463 5308

Pipitea

Level 2, Railway Station, West Wing 463 7474

To make an appointment please phone as above, or drop in to speak with one of our receptionists. For students on the Te Aro Campus please call our Pipitea Clinic. The receptionists may ask what type of appointment you need, this really helps us make sure you see the correct nurse or doctor.

If you require a routine appointment, for example for a repeat prescription or to discuss a non-urgent condition, please contact us three or four days before you wish to be seen. If you are unwell and need to be seen on the day, please contact us as early possible. Students who require to be seen on the day will be always be first assessed and advised by one of our experienced nurses, and if necessary referred to a doctor.

Wishing you all the best for your studies, and remember if you want to see someone about any health issue please contact the Student Health Service.

Try to keep to the regular sleep routine that works best for you. Clear your mind before bed by preparing a plan for the next day or writing down things you want to remember – or get off your mind. Take some time before sleep to relax – do anything that winds you down i.e. quiet music, bath, warm drink, relaxation tapes, herbal tea.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and sweets. Avoid excess alcohol. Where possible resolve or deal with the stressors. Create a quiet, comfortable, relaxing environment. Avoid compensating for lost sleep at other times such as during the day. If you wake early or have trouble getting to sleep, try to focus on being still, relaxed and rested, or get up, do something to distract yourself briefly, then go back to bed – stressing about being awake can make it worse! If sleeplessness persists and is debilitating, consult your doctor or health professional

The Counselling Service wishes you ‘well’ with your studies.

Techniques to try

These can help with relaxation, distraction from persistent thoughts and sleep inducement and are most effective when practised regularly.

BREATHING EXERCISE (this can be done almost anywhere anytime) – Lie or sit in a comfortable position. Slowly, fully and gently breathe in through your nose from the bottom of your abdomen. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then slowly, fully and gently breathe out to the bottom of your abdomen and hold your breath for a few seconds. Repeat this at least 10 times. SLEEP ENHANCEMENT – Lie on your back in a relaxed position with your head at the same level or lower than your body with eyes shut. Inhale softly. Do not breathe too deeply. Exhale all air. Repeat 3 times. After 3rd breath, exhale all air and stay like this for as long as possible without inhaling further. Then breathe gently three times and delay breathing again at the end of the third exhalation. Repeat this cycle 5-8 times (Choliz,1993). GUIDED IMAGERY – Lie or sit in a comfortable place, free of distractions. Think of a place that you have experienced as special or particularly meaningful to you. Imagine that you are in that place. Picture it fully in your mind, use your senses to really experience that place e.g. sounds, smells, temperature, colours, tastes, sensations. Spend a few minutes doing this. If you get distracted gently bring yourself back to the image. MUSCLE TENSION/RELEASE – Deliberately clench or tighten muscles progressively in parts of your body that experience tension e.g. neck, shoulders, hands, face. Hold the tension for a few seconds as tightly as you can and then release and relax. Repeat this a few times. Feel the difference?

Your medical records indicate that you are eligible to receive this vaccine from us at no charge.

Gardasil Vaccine will help protect you from becoming infected with the four most common Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV). This group of HPV cause the majority of genital warts and are a significant risk factor for developing cervical cancer.

Up to 70% of sexually active adults may become infected with the HPV virus during their lifetime. Anyone who is sexually active is at risk of being infected with HPV.

Thousands of women in NZ are diagnosed with cervical abnormalities (abnormal smear) and 180 diagnosed with cervical cancer every year.

Gardasil vaccination and ongoing regular cervical smears offers young women the best protection against cervical cancer and other cervical abnormalities. Student Health will be vaccinating eligible students from the 1 September.

Our vaccination clinics at Kelburn will run on;

8.30 – 10.30am and 2.30 – 4pm Wednesdays 8.30 –10am Thursdays and Fridays

Three shots are required over a 6 month period.

At Kelburn no appointment is necessary just ring and register your name or call in during one of these times. At Pipitea just make an appointment with the nurse Our friendly nursing team are looking forward to meeting you.

Go on give it “Your Best Shot”

Yours sincerely

The Student Health Team.

If you were born before 1990, Gardasil is still available to you, however there will be a charge of $450.00 for the course of three shots.

To learn more about the vaccination go to http://www.yourbestshot.co.nz

A recent survey showed that 25% of all adults experience painful loneliness at least every few weeks. Incidence among secondary and tertiary students is even higher.

But loneliness is neither a permanent state nor ‘bad’ in itself – it is often a signal that some of your important needs are not being met. This article may help you to understand loneliness and what you can do to overcome it and regain a positive outlook.

What is loneliness?
Loneliness is the painful awareness of not feeling connected to others.

Loneliness is not necessarily being alone. We may be alone for long periods without feeling at all lonely. On the other hand we can feel our most lonely in a class with 300 other students or in the middle of a raging party.

Why we feel lonely . . .
There are many reasons why we experience loneliness: We’re alone and feel it wasn’t our choice We feel we’re lacking the loving secure environment we had in the past – when leaving home or after the break-up of a relationship.

We’re facing changes in our life – a new school, country, city, job.

We feel there’s no one in our lives with whom we can share our feelings and experiences.

We perceive ourselves as unacceptable, unlovable, not worthwhile.

How we make it worse . . .
When we feel lonely we are very susceptible to negative misconceptions about loneliness. Some of the classic things we tell ourselves are:

“Loneliness is a sign of weakness, or immaturity.”
“There’s something wrong with me if I’m lonely.”
“I’m the only one who feels this way.”

None of these statements is true. Many of us think these things when we are lonely and, unfortunately, the more we think this way, the worse our loneliness becomes. We start to expect others to reject us and feel hesitant to assert ourselves and talk to people, either one-on-one or in group situations such as tutorial groups or at parties. We become easily discouraged, lose our motivation to socialise, and isolate ourselves further.

What to do about it . . .
Loneliness can be overcome – you can do something about it. You may find it difficult, especially if you’re shy, but remember even very small steps can be built on. There are many ways you can take action:

Get involved with shared activities you are genuinely interested in, such as a cultural group, hobby, sports team, or a part-time job. Being with people who are focusing on an activity you all enjoy can quickly lead to close personal bonds being formed.

Seek out situations and be receptive to approaches which enable you to get involved with other students. For example, ask someone in your class to be your study or exercise partner. You may want to develop your social skills. Learning to be assertive will help. A smile or a nod or saying hello to a classmate can ease things! Get involved in class discussions.

Nurture environments in which you feel comfortable – have lunch with a friend, or meet with others at your children’s playgroup, Kohanga Reo or Pacific language group.

Volunteer work is a good way to learn about yourself and others, and can help to boost your self-esteem.

Look out for yourself . . .
Loneliness is something that can be changed: Value all your friendships and their unique characteristics rather than believing that only a romantic relationship will relieve your loneliness. Intimate friendships usually develop gradually as people learn to share their inner feelings.

Learn to admire and accept the differences in people. Give your lecturers, tutors, classmates and peers a chance, and try to get to know them. Finding friends and developing relationships can take time.

Use your time alone to enjoy yourself. By learning to enjoy and value your own company, you’ll find that others do too.

Now is your chance to do new things you may have always wanted to try.

Get involved in things that excite your interest – music, art, sport.

Eat properly, get regular exercise, and enough sleep.

Don’t try to define yourself as a lonely person. No matter how bad you feel, loneliness will diminish or even disappear if you feel active and involved.

How to find out more At Victoria University there are many people you can talk to – counsellors, learning support staff, student health advisors, and/or, if you are Maori, Pacific Islander or an international student, people who are aware of your specific cultural needs… check out the Student Services Website.

The Counselling Service is running ‘Increase your Self Confidence & Assertiveness’ programmes over 4 Mondays starting Monday 21 July 12:30-2:30pm & Monday 1st September 12:30-2:30pm. Sign up! Contact the Counselling Service 463 5310.