The Students for Choice group’s new plan to implement a campaign bringing free condoms to the residence halls may, on its face, seem like a reasonable or even necessary undertaking. After all, easy access to birth control can be a problem for young adults entering a collegiate atmosphere — probably one much less inhibited than the one they’ve grown up in — and as a result, unwanted pregnancy can occur. For this reason, we fully endorse the idea that birth control should be widely available and distributed for free on college campuses.
But several issues involved in providing free condoms in the residence halls must be clearly reasoned and rationally planned before any conceived policy is implemented.
First, members of Students for Choice said they want to provide the free condoms “discreetly” in the residence halls so that students too embarrassed to get them at the University Health Center don’t forgo them altogether and practice unsafe sex. We question this hand-holding stance on sex, however. If students aren’t mature enough — or are too lazy — to ask for condoms in person, then perhaps they should rethink whether they’re mature enough to have sex. The health center is located in a central location on campus and is only a short distance from residence halls. Likewise, Planned Parenthood, which also distributes free condoms, is located off campus at 1670 High St.
Second, a funding problem has already manifested itself, and we can safely assume that it will become a deeper issue in the future, especially if freshmen abuse the service. While Students for Choice hasn’t yet figured out how it will pay for free condoms in the residence halls, one thing is for sure: Student fees should not be part of the equation. Any hint of student funding should outrage a great majority of the student body; the proposal would only benefit those in the residence halls but could potentially cost all fee-paying students money.
Third, we would hope Students for Choice can think of a good way to keep freshmen from abusing the privilege of having access to free condoms. One good way to ensure that condoms are not stolen in large quantities and used as water balloons is to install pay dispensers in the bathrooms. This both eliminates the chance of abuse and solves the funding problem. Even a small price — a quarter, or even a dime — could curb the possibility for mistreatment.
With such a high rate of unwanted pregnancy in the United States — four in ten pregnancies, according to Planned Parenthood — we certainly recognize the importance of starting early prevention. But some programs aimed at curbing the problem should be analyzed for cost effectiveness and sensibility before implementation, and the newest proposal by Students for Choice, while commendable, is no exception.