Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor.
A partnership between VCU Student Health, the Student Government Association and the Minority Health Consortium is making free HIV and STI screening available for students on a monthly basis.
The next event will take place on Oct. 27th, on the second floor of the VCU Student Health Services building at 1300 W. Broad St.
The project was initiated by SGA’s former secretary of state, Maddie Funk, according to SGA delegate Sollina Abraham. Funk witnessed a similar free screening service at the College of William and Mary, which was funded by their SGA, and felt inspired to do the same at VCU, according to Abraham.
The partnership was led by Dr. Shannon Green, director of VCU Student Health and worked on by SGA delegate Sollina Abraham and former SGA delegate Arjun Nair.
One of the biggest obstacles in creating this event was finding sufficient funding, but with the help of nonprofit organizations in Richmond, it was made possible, according to Abraham.
A collaboration with the Nationz Foundation, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, led to a first trial, which took place in the Student Commons in December of 2025. At the trial, 150 donated screenings were conducted.
“It was encouraging because we know that there’s a demand…but it’s also a little sad because it’s like, ‘Wow there is such great need, and we helped 150 people, but who else could have benefited from it?’” Nair said.
The students decided to continue and expand the program, resulting in a collaboration with the Minority Health Consortium, which provided free screenings, Plan B and condoms for the event this year. Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses overdoses, is also available at the clinic.
Nair explained the benefits of this program for college-aged students. Almost half of all new STI cases each year are amongst people aged 15 to 24, according to the CDC. The majority of college students fall between this age range, they can be at risk if no precautions are taken. However, there are various obstacles that come with pursuing sexual healthcare as college students, Nair explained.
“Thinking about college students, sometimes we don’t want to use our parents’ insurance, right?” Nair said. “Because we don’t want to hear, “Oh, like what is this charge coming in?”
Paying for medical fees out of pocket also poses an issue. A comprehensive STI screening through VCU Student Health costs about $35 dollars, according to the University Student Health Services website.
Nair said the cost is “quite a bit of money,” but it is worse if students go outside of VCU Student Health. He said he heard from a student they had to pay over $100 for an outside service.
“When half of these cases come from people in our age group, I feel like this is something that should be kind of commonplace to help support student health and well-being,” Nair said, explaining SGA’s goal is to bridge the gap between cost and accessibility.
To do this, the SGA’s free STI/HIV screening events have health educators, educational pamphlets, contraceptives and other resources available.
“Students who are struggling with the stigma around having an STI should know there’s people out there who can help you, professionals that are willing to talk to you about what you’re experiencing,” Abraham said.