University of Illinois freshman, Alex Fitzsimmons, received a positive pregnancy test from the Health Center on Sunday, after going in for other health concerns. Doctors and staff at the research based campus are elated to share this medical revelation.
The health center offers great (almost free) resources to university students: cough medicine, albuterol treatments, STI tests, pregnancy tests, on-site pharmacy, medical professionals and more. Students can make appointments online or by phone. When asked how Alex ended up at the Health Center, he stated, “It was painful to swallow after my pre-workout. I thought I could just make an appointment to see what’s up.” Little did he know, the appointment would end up more life-changing than a daily dose of amoxicillin.
Alex explained that when he was roomed, there was no verification of name and birthdate, but that was not different than past experiences. After the doctor entered the room, there was discussion of Alex’s symptoms, which were explained as, “A sore throat and a fever, along with this swollen feeling in there.” As standard procedure, he was then orally swabbed for a strep test.
Three hours later, doctors and nurses crowded the lab with mixed emotions. His results showed traces of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which is a sign of pregnancy after the first few days. The Health Center showed no concern with the reliability of a cotton swab’s power to affirm a pregnancy.
When Alex was notified, he quickly shared the information with his girlfriend Amber, a freshman in LAS. She expressed true elation in the fact that she was not bearing their child. Both of the students’ parents showed deep concern in the science of the matter, but the students, alike the staff, have no doubts Alex is pregnant.
This case is still under investigation by other health organizations.
