Buying contraception should be as convenient as buying a late night snack.
Universities across the country say they want to promote healthy living and safe sex among their students, yet many of them do not have birth control readily available for students.
As a response to this issue, some schools have started putting forms of contraception, like condoms, into their vending machines or installing vending machines solely for selling contraceptives.
UCLA should join the movement to make contraception and the option for safe sex more available for students by adding condoms as a vending machine choice in its residence halls.
Notably, schools including the University of Michigan, Sewanee University and Tufts University have implemented successful programs that provide students with condoms outside of their student health centers.
Providing students with condoms doesn’t have to cost the university much extra money. By selling them at cost, UCLA can increase access to contraception without shelling out money. At University of Michigan, for example, students can buy condoms for $1 apiece.
Tufts University’s Voices for Choice, an affiliate group of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts which advocates for reproductive freedom, was able to work with its student senate to draft a proposal and work with the administration to bring condoms to several of the university’s residence hall vending machines, said Ruby Vail, the president of the organization.
The organization’s close collaboration with the school’s student government ensured that the proposal was seen through to the end and provides a model for UCLA to follow in order to bring the same results to campus.
A proposal that originates within student government is more likely to be heard and executed by the administration. The Undergraduate Students Association Council’s presence on campus and relationship with the administration would serve as a vital tool in ensuring that contraception is made more readily available to students.
The Student Wellness Commission’s Gender Health committee already puts on Safe Sex Week and gives out free male and female condoms in Bruin Plaza during special events, but these efforts are limited.
Although condoms are already available for free at student health centers at UCLA, like the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, these centers have limited hours, meaning limited access to contraception.
So, unless students think ahead to grab some condoms before the Ashe Center closes at 5:30 p.m., they’re out of luck.
Currently, if you live on the Hill, there are limited options to acquire condoms.
The Hill Top Shop sells condoms, but isn’t open at all times, and students might be discouraged to use this as an option because of the embarrassment factor that comes along with buying condoms from employees who are also fellow students.
Students also have the choice to ask their resident assistant for condoms, but that can be both uncomfortable and inconvenient for both people.
The embarrassment that comes along with purchasing condoms may seem like a minor issue, but it can be a deterrent and ultimately discourage students from pursuing safe-sex practices.
Vending machines allow students to buy birth control on their own time without an awkward walk to the register. The anonymity and accessibility of vending machines make the purchasing process much more comfortable.
Stocking vending machines with contraceptives represents a simple yet tangible step to improving student sexual health.
If UCLA can make buying condoms as easy as buying a bag of chips, the university can show its commitment toward making sex safer.
Email Freedman at zfreedman@media.ucla.edu or tweet her @zoeyfreedman. Send general comments to opinion@media.ucla.edu or tweet her @DBOpinion.