Christopher M. Coley '83, chief of medicine for Harvard's UHS, said the University has no way of knowing for sure how many cases of STDs exist on Harvard's campus.

"The problem is that we have no way to know the true [number] of cases because people have access to other treatment centers, so the statistics couldn't show the universality of the infectional pattern," he said.

Sundnas said she believes the reaction on Dartmouth's campus is disproportionate to the actual problem.

"It's all very sensationalized and grossly exaggerated," Sundnas said. "It's almost getting pathological. There have always been STDs on campus, and they cannot be attributed to any particular group. Targeting any group as a source of an STD is the denial of one's own behavior."

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that sometimes has no symptoms, but when there are signs, they appear five to 10 days after sexual intercourse.

Young adults, especially those under 25 years old have the highest rates of chlamydia.

Gonorrhea is most prevalent in high-density urban areas among people under 24 years of age who have multiple sex partners and engage in unprotected intercourse.

Campbell said that UHS remains aggressive in its contraceptive counseling efforts. She stresses the importance of abstinence and condom usage as methods for protecting against the diseases.