Urgent Needs

Call 911 if you are experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies. 

Carolina students who are sick or injured Have options.

• Call 919-966-2281 anytime, day or night.
  • After hours, select the option for nurse advice, which will route you to UNC Nurse Connect.
  • During regular hours of operation, you can select nurse advice to ask questions or schedule an appointment. Appointments are reserved for same-day, urgent health needs, and may decrease your wait time compared to a Same Day Care or Student Stores Mini Clinic visit.
• Visit Same Day Care or Student Stores Mini Clinic during open hours at your convenience for urgent needs. Wait times will vary.

Carolina students with Who want to talk to someone now about emotions or mental health have options.

• Walk into Counseling and Psychological Services during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
• After hours, call 919-966-3658 to access a support line staffed by mental health professionals. 
• Other resources include:
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or in Spanish by calling 1-888-628-9454 
  • Text Support Line – text START to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor

If you or someone you know has experienced an incident of sexual assault:

If you are dealing with an immediate life-threatening emergency:

• Call 911
• Call Campus Police 919-962-8100
• Proceed to the nearest emergency department

To review your options for care, call 919-966-6577 to speak to a member of the Gynecology clinic team. Hours for Gynecology are 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Why should I seek medical care?

After a physical or sexual assault, some medical concerns may not immediately be apparent, such as internal injuries, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or pregnancy.

Consider obtaining an exam to protect yourself; emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy and antibiotics can help with infections.

What sexual assault services are offered at Campus Health?

Campus Health offers a variety of options for services for sexual assault survivors, and will let the survivor decide which options they would like to pursue. Survivors may choose no services, treatment without exam, or treatment and exam. Survivors interested in forensic evidence collection are referred to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program at UNC Hospitals. Campus Health does not provide SANE services but will assist with referral and coordination.

Campus Health provider can offer:

• Testing and screenings
• Medication prescriptions for the prevention of infections and pregnancy 
• Coordination of services within Campus Health and/or the community.
• Immediate referral and coordination with the SANE program at UNC Hospitals for forensic evidence collection.
• Connection to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) providers, who can provide confidential emotional support to survivors of sexual assault

Whichever options the survivor requests – even if that’s no treatment – Campus Health will provide information about services available and recommend two follow-up appointments, one within a few days and one within a few weeks. 

Who can use sexual assault services offered at Campus Health?

Any student who is eligible for health care services at Campus Health may be seen for sexual assault services. For those who are not eligible for Campus Health care, we encourage you to contact the Orange Country Rape Crisis Center for options and support.

How are these services paid for?

Through the Student Government Survivors Assistance Fund, monies are available to help offset medical and mental health expenses incurred by survivors of a sexual assault. These funds are available to survivors who are eligible for health care services at Campus Health. This fund covers medical procedures/treatments, medication prescribed including HIV prophylaxis, mental health services and specialty services if indicated. For more information visit safe.unc.edu. 

You can also read the University Policy on Sexual Assault.

If you have experienced a potential blood-borne pathogen exposure,

Time is of the essence!  Protect yourself!

Exposures to blood-borne pathogens can occur via a needle stick or mucus membrane splash/splatter.

Step 1. Immediately clean the affected area.

For splashes to the nose, mouth or eyes, flush the area with water.  Irrigate the eyes with clean water, saline or sterile irrigants. If you are stuck with a sharp, clean the site with soap and water

Step 2. Immediately notify your supervisor.

Examples include your clinical instructor, resident, attending, etc. The supervisor should help you to document the incident, order source patient labs and start the process of getting the source patient’s blood drawn.

Step 3. Obtain source patient information.

Gather the patient’s name, birth date, medical record number and location. See the “For Source Patient Testing” section below.

Step 4. Seek Care.

If you are participating in an educational experience (i.e., ” rotation”) at a clinical facility, you may be able to seek care via the facility’s Occupational Employee Health Clinic. Otherwise, you should visit the nearest medical clinic that can see you as a patient. An urgent evaluation is usually needed when post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is indicated (see below). Notify the clinic that you have had a potential blood-borne pathogen exposure and need to be seen by someone who can advise you appropriately regarding base line testing and any necessary post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

The cost of medical care is the responsibility of the student.

If the exposure occurred during your job/employment, you should instead contact the occupational health provider for your job.

For Source Patient Testing

Dental student: Inform the dental clinical instructor and follow the protocol on the dental school’s website.

Any other health sciences student: Your onsite clinical attending/preceptor should help coordinate and provide instruction for source patient testing for you. Please have the source patient’s name, date of birth, and medical record number available.

Baseline Testing for Yourself for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C

Usually baseline testing for yourself is not indicated if the source patient is negative for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. Thus, it is the priority to get the source patient tested. Baseline testing for yourself only checks your current status for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C so this is not needed if the source patient is negative.

Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)

• If the source patient is known as HIV-positive or at high risk for HIV: Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) will likely be recommended.  If PEP is recommended, it should be started as soon as possible! 
• If the source patient is positive for Hepatitis B: If you have completed a hepatitis B vaccine series and have a subsequent adequate quantitative HBsAb serologic test (positive titer), no further action is necessary.  If your serologic antibody test is inadequate (negative titer), Hepatitis B immune globulin should be given to you, and you should have follow-up testing.
• If the source patient is positive for Hepatitis C: There is no known prophylaxis for Hepatitis C.  You should, however, receive follow-up testing after the exposure.