While many students are away from campus, sexual health programs at the university are finding different ways to provide resources and educate students on issues such as sexual health and harassment. 
Despite changes to remote courses and campus closures, the missions of campus organizations like student-led group Protection Connection have not changed.

Protection Connection, which is dedicated to ending the stigma around sex and providing inclusive safer-sex supplies to students, has been promoting its program through the UO Duck Nest Wellness Center’s Instagram account. 

KeAndre Hairston, a student worker for Protection Connection, said the organization is working on how it can provide resources to students who still live in the UO community or are away from campus. “We had to look at how we promote Protection Connection,” Hairston said. “Because even though we’re in quarantine, sex is not stopping.” 

Hairston said the students who are still living on or near campus can continue to access inclusive safer sex supplies at the safer sex bar in the UO Health Center. The program also provides a safer-sex supply delivery service to students living in residence halls. 

“Students who are still in the residence halls can still place deliveries, and we deliver packages twice a week to residence halls,” Hairston said.

Hairston said Protection Connection’s biggest initiative has been providing online newsletters, which launched at the end of April. “We’re putting out articles where we are letting everyone know that [we are] still here,” he said. 

The newsletter touches on topics of satisfaction, intimacy and education, Hairston said. In its recent issue, Protection Connection addressed the topic of intimacy and maintaining connections with others from afar. The newsletter provided tips and testimonials from UO students “surviving Couple Quarantine.” 

Programs like UO Sexual Violence Education and Prevention and the student-led Organization Against Sexual Assault are also focused on supporting students despite the current situation. 
The Crisis Intervention and Sexual Violence Support Services Program is continuing to help students who are experiencing sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, gender-based harassment or bullying and stalking, director Jessica Haymaker-Parsons said in a video update with OASA. 

Haymaker-Parsons stated that CISVSS has transitioned to providing services over the phone or by video conferences. The staff is encouraging students to arrange a meeting in a way that is the most comfortable for them. 

The 24-hour confidential hotline is operating as usual, Haymaker-Parsons said. 

UO Sexual Violence Prevention and Education, which focuses on education and building awareness around issues of sexual harassment, is also working to shift its initiatives to a digital platform, said Makayla Swanson, a student director for SVPE. 

One of SVPE’s primary education initiatives is Get Explicit 101, a sexual violence prevention program all incoming students at the university are required to attend. 

Swanson said it has been a challenge moving a SVPE program like Get Explicit online. SVPE offers Get Explicit sessions at UO’s IntroDUCKtion each summer. It is also an engagement-oriented program designed for students to immerse themselves in discussions and activities. 

“A lot of what we’re educating people on looks very different in a time with way less human interaction,” Swanson said. “A lot of scenarios that we usually talk about are just not really possible right now.”

Swanson said SVPE is trying to shift its education to topics that are more relevant to the current situation. “We have been doing a lot of work on what digital consent looks like in terms of sexting or sending pictures, and how to be respectful of people’s boundaries,” she said. 

In response to the pandemic, SVPE has turned to using social media to provide information and content to students, Swanson said. She hopes that through social media, SVPE may continue to help students. 

“Even though we’re far from Eugene, your community is still strong and it’s still there to support you,” Swanson said.