Dr. Ariela Zamcheck (she/her), Associate Medical Director of Student Health Services, provides accessible care to gender expansive students. This includes consideration of sexual health and desires, family and social support, and mental health. Dr. Zamcheck can prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to change secondary sex characteristics and write referrals and letters of support for procedures. 

A directory of local, New York state, and nationwide support resources can be found here. 

Rensselaer Dining Services

Rensselaer Dining Services provides students who have a meal plan with access to complimentary consultations with the campus registered dietitian to discuss food allergies, intolerances, and/or other dietary needs. 

If you are a student on a meal plan, you can schedule an appointment with the dietitian by emailing Kimberly Mayer, RDN or calling (518) 276-8989.

Epinephrine In the Dining Halls

Rensselaer was one of the first universities in New York State to stock backup epinephrine in its four dining halls (Commons, Russell Sage, BARH, and Blitman) for students who have known anaphylactic reactions to certain food products and who may occasionally forget to carry their personal epinephrine auto-injectors. Managers are trained in AllerTrain™ emergency protocols. This backup administration also provides a layer of response for students who may have an allergic reaction for the first time to previously unknown food allergens. 

We strongly encourage students who are prescribed epinephrine to carry it with them at all times.

Rensselaer Dining Services provides students who have a meal plan with access to complimentary consultations with the campus registered dietitian to discuss topics such as: 

• food allergies
• Celiac disease
• other special dietary needs
• eating healthy on campus
• vegan and vegetarian nutrition
• weight management
• sports nutrition

Additionally, the campus dietitian is available to offer campus presentations on a request basis.  

If you are a student on a meal plan, you can schedule an appointment with the dietitian by emailing Kimberly Mayer, RDN or calling (518) 276-8989.

Gynecology services are provided by a nurse practitioner in our Student Health Center, with on-site services including:

• Pelvic and breast exams
• Pap tests for cervical cancer 
• STI testing and treatment
• HIV testing and referral to treatment 
• Contraceptive prescriptions and management
• Emergency contraception
• Pregnancy testing
• Counseling related to sexual health issues
• Management of common gynecologic problems including vaginal infections and irregular periods

When you call to make your appointment, you will be asked about the purpose of your visit (such as a routine pelvic exam, a first gynecological exam or other reason), so that the appropriate amount of time can be scheduled for your appointment. 

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are very common. Some people have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and do not know it because STIs often show no symptoms. Other individuals have symptoms of infection but don’t know what to do.

What are the symptoms of an STI?

While the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STI) vary from person to person or may not be present at all, the following are often symptoms of infection and should be evaluated by a medial professional:

• Painful urination
• Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus
• Skin changes (bumps, sores, rashes, lesions or warts) in or around the genitals, anus or throat
• Genital/anal itching or pain
• Pelvic discomfort or pain, or an abnormal PAP test (for biological females)
• Testicular pain

STI Screening/Testing WITH STI Symptoms

The Student Health Center has services and support to help you learn more about your STI status. Screening/Testing is offered at the Student Health Center by appointment. The visit, chlamydia and gonorrhea testing, and HIV testing are free of charge.

STI Screening/Testing WITHOUT STI Symptoms

There is no single test to screen for all STIs. To provide you with individualized STI screening, your medical provider will ask about your concerns, sexual history, risks, and sexual practices.

Together, you can decide which tests are appropriate for your risks and exposure. We encourage you to answer questions honestly, even if doing so makes you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. We are not here to judge, but rather to help you! And, your information is always kept confidential.

The Student Health Center also encourages students to have open communication with their partner(s) about their risks, so students can come to appointments with a better understanding of their overall personal risk factors. Having this type of conversation with your partner(s) might feel awkward, but it is important that you have it in order to maximize your ability to get the best treatment if needed. 

And, if you're curious to know if you can transmit an infection to a partner even if you don't have symptoms, the answer is "yes." STIs can be transmitted even when symptoms are not present. Fortunately, tests are available to diagnose some STIs – such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV – even when symptoms are not present. 

STI Prevention

There is no absolute way to prevent all STIs, but there are things you can do to reduce your chances of becoming infected.

• Get vaccinated for HPV (human papillomavirus). The Gardasil vaccine is able to prevent the types of HPV that causes most cervical cancers, as well as some cancers of the head and neck, penis, anus, vulva, and vagina. In addition, this vaccination can protect against the HPV strains that cause most genital warts.
• The Gardasil vaccine is available at the Student Health Center to everyone, but is offered at no cost to students who have the school insurance.
• Get vaccinated for Hepatitis A if you're a biological male who has sex with other biological males.
• Use latex or polyurethane condoms during any sexual contact if you are sexually active (oral, vaginal and/or anal).
• Reduce your number of sex partners to decrease your risk for STIs.
• Practice mutual monogamy by agreeing to be sexually active with only one person who has agreed to be sexually active only with you.

Additional Resources

• Planned Parenthood
• Centers for Disease Control
• American Social Health Association

Covid-19 Information for the Rensselaer Community

Fall 2024

Covid-19 continues to affect our community, requiring us to adapt and change our protocols in response to evolving knowledge about the virus and changes in population immunity and susceptibility. Our policies reflect current CDC recommendations.

Please read below for details on what to do if you get sick as well as prevention, testing, treatment, and other on-campus protocols:

What are Covid-19 symptoms?

COVID-19 symptoms often feel like ordinary cold symptoms.

Possible symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Fever or chills  
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

What should you do if you develop any of the symptoms above?

1. Stay home and away from others until your symptoms begin to improve. 
2. If you must be around others while you are sick or if you share a dorm room, both you and anyone else in the room should wear a mask. If you must be around others to pick up food while ill, wear a tight-fitting mask such as K9-95 and take food to-go. 
3. Remain at home until you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication AND your symptoms are improving (you may or may not experience fevers).
4. At that point, you can return to normal activities but continue to wear a tight-fitting mask like a KN-95 for at least five days and take precautionary measures to prevent spread of infection to others such as improving ventilation, distancing, and frequent handwashing. 
5. Testing is encouraged and strongly suggested if you are immunocompromised.  Tests are available via PCR at a pharmacy/urgent care OR via at home rapid test. If the first rapid test is negative, repeat the test 48 hours later to confirm.  You can obtain tests here.
6. Students should inform professors immediately if they are missing class and plan with the professor to make up missing course material.

If Covid-19 is confirmed:

Most cases of COVID-19 are mild and symptoms can be treated at home with the same over-the-counter medications used to treat any cold-like illness.

You may use Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for fever or body aches (see Viral URI Guide for more information). 

Make an appointment with a medical provider (your primary doctor or RPI Student Health Center 518-276-6287) immediately in the following circumstances:

• If you have an underlying medical condition that could cause severe Covid illness, such as diabetes, chronic heart/lung/kidney or liver disease or cancer 
• If you can’t eat or drink normally
• If you have any difficulty breathing such as wheezing or coughing that makes it hard to catch your breath
• If you feel chest pain 
• If you have a fever that won’t go away or that comes back after several days
• If you have unexpected symptoms
• If you are frightened or worried about your symptoms

****Remember to wear a well-fitting mask if you need to get medical care for COVID****

Call 911 immediately if you develop:

• Severe difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
• New confusion or inability to arouse or stay awake.
• Bluish lips or face. 
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.

Covid-19 Prevention 

• Practice good hygiene: Cover coughs and sneezes; wash hands after eating and/or touching the face.  Wash common touch areas frequently 
• Consider wearing a mask to prevent Covid-19
• Masks are recommended for those with immune compromise, in crowds in poorly ventilated places and for close contacts of those with confirmed Covid
• Risks may also be reduced by handwashing, distancing and improving ventilation by opening windows or using an air filter.

Vaccines

• All Rensselaer community members are encouraged to receive the most current Covid-19 vaccination 
• An updated COVID vaccine will be available in early fall which will provide protection against the currently circulating variants. 
• Visit www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date for more information 

On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries.

For more information about mpox (formerly known at Monkeypox), the current outbreak, how it's transmitted, current risk to the Rensselaer community, and what the Rensselaer community can do to prevent an outbreak, click here.