(MURFREESBORO) The 17th annual Tunnel of Love will reveal the possible consequences of unsafe sex to a new generation with an interactive display.
The tunnel which is a self-paced, walk-through exhibit, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, in the Student Union Ballroom. It is free and open to the public.
"The purpose of the event is to educate college students about sexually transmitted infections and how to practice safer sex or abstinence," said Casie Higginbotham, a lecturer in the Department of Health and Human Performance.
Statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Tennessee ranks 21st in the nation in chlamydia, 16th in gonorrhea, 21st in primary and secondary syphilis and 19th in congenital syphilis. The figures are based on numbers of cases per 100,000 live births in 2017, the latest year for which figures are available.
Nashville Cares, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee, will provide free HIV testing for anyone who requests it.
A searchable campus map is available at http://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap. Off-campus visitors attending the event can obtain a special one-day permit at http://www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.
For more information, contact Higginbotham at 615-898-5543 or casie.higginbotham@mtsu.edu.