Student Health Services is offering free STI and STD testing in recognition of a disease affecting more than 1 million people across the country.

The Wellness Center is hoping to test 150 students in events surrounding Worlds AIDS Day, which took place on Dec.1, as 150 came out and got tested for last year’s event.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2011, 8,054 people aged 20-24 were diagnosed with HIV, the highest of any age group.

Sarah Steinkamp, SIU Wellness Center coordinator, said testing appointments consist of both urine and blood work, and take less than 15 minutes.

Steinkamp said it will cost the university about $25 to test one student, and therefore students are saving money not only this week, but also every other week of the school year, when testing costs students $6. On average, about 12 students a day come in to get tested.

Steinkamp said this year’s testing is more confidential than in the past.

“Last year we did it in the student center so everybody sort of knew if you were there, this is what you were doing,” she said.

However, SIU does not have a high rate of STI or STD diagnosed students and faculty, she said.

“As an institution we are on par with national averages,” Steinkamp said. “So we’re not like rampant in chlamydia or anything crazy like that, but national averages hold here.”

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Wellness Center assistant director Jason Gillman said 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV and virtually anyone could get an infection — it is not specified to just members of the LGBTQ or African American communities.

“It’s pretty across the board, it affects all people,” he said. “There is no group or race or sexual orientation that owns HIV. It’s a part of our human existence at this point,”

The university is also sponsoring events in the community to bring awareness to the issue. On Wednesday a panel discussion was held in the auditorium at the Student Health Center, where several speakers talked about prevention, testing and HIV within the LGBTQ and African American communities.

On Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Student Health Center is teaming up with the Southern Illinois AIDS Walk to hold a vigil and a candle lighting service in recognition for those affected by HIV and AIDS. On average, 150 to 200 people come to the vigil, Steinkamp said.

Wally Paynter, Southern Illinois AIDS Vigil chair, said he hopes students make an effort to come support the vigil, as there is still much work to be done.

“The event is to raise awareness that HIV and AIDS does impact southern Illinois and it’s to let people know about the southern Illinois AIDS Holiday Project,” Paynter said.

Paynter also runs the Holiday Project, which was created to raise money in hopes of meeting the needs of 150 low-income families impacted by HIV and AIDS in the 19 southern-most Illinois counties.

Steinkamp said many people do not get tested, as they feel they are not infected; yet half of people will not have symptoms.

“Fifty percent of people will have no symptoms at all, STI’s are tricky like that,” she said. “Everything is treatable, but not everything is curable. There are medications that will make symptoms less even for diseases that are not curable, like HIV.”

Gillman said he highly suggests students come in and get tested.

“If you’ve had more than one partner in the last three months, if you’ve never been tested, you should be getting tested every three to six months,” Gillman said.

SIU students can make appointments to get tested online at shc.siu.