Holy Cross Ought to Distribute Contraceptives
In the realm of higher education, the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution, has been making strides in promoting health and well-being among its students. However, when it comes to sexual health, the college's approach has raised some questions among students and health advocates.
The College of the Holy Cross, in alignment with its Jesuit mission, emphasizes values such as social justice, compassion, and the care for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. These values align with promoting health and well-being, including sexual health, among students. However, the college does not currently provide condoms or oral dams to students, a common resource at many universities.
The Okanagan Charter, a document that the College of the Holy Cross has adopted, calls for higher education institutions to embed health and well-being into their core work. It emphasizes creating supportive environments that foster health and well-being through campus policies and practices. While this charter does not directly address the provision of condoms or oral dams, it does suggest that institutions should prioritize holistic health, which could include sexual health resources.
The college's Health Services does prescribe PrEP, an HIV prevention medication, and hormonal birth control pills, which are also effective at preventing the spread of STIs. Yet, the college has not implemented a harm reduction model for STI prevention, a strategy that aims to minimize the overall harm of high-risk behaviors.
Young adults account for approximately half of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States every year. This statistic underscores the importance of comprehensive sexual health education and resources for college students. However, at Holy Cross, there are no signs promoting sexual health resources, and the college has not publicly addressed the equity issues raised by expecting students to buy condoms.
The college has not publicly stated whether it supports Proposition 60 in California, a law that requires adult film stars to wear condoms while filming and covers the costs of performers' workplace-related medical examinations, STI tests, and STI vaccines. The college has also not addressed the potential impact of Proposition 60 on its campus or student body.
The college has announced an "Express STI Clinic" for confidential STI and pregnancy testing, which is open to anyone who wishes to get tested. This clinic is a step towards addressing sexual health concerns, but some argue that the college should also consider providing condoms and oral dams to students as part of a comprehensive approach to sexual health.
As the college continues to navigate these issues, it will be important for students, administrators, and health advocates to work together to ensure that the college's policies reflect its commitment to promoting the health and well-being of its students.
- The College of the Holy Cross, in adherence to its Jesuit mission, values holistic health that encompasses aspects like social justice, compassion, and care for the whole person, including sexual health.
- The college's Health Services provides PrEP and hormonal birth control pills, yet does not implement a harm reduction model for STI prevention, a strategy aimed at minimizing the overall harm of high-risk behaviors.
- The sudden surge of new sexually transmitted infections among young adults, including college students, highlights the need for comprehensive sexual health education and resources.
- The college has announced an Express STI Clinic for confidential testing, but some argue that it should also provide condoms and oral dams to students as part of a comprehensive approach to sexual health.
- The college's stance on Proposition 60, a California law requiring adult film stars to wear condoms and covering related medical expenses, remains unclear, as it has not publicly addressed the potential impact of this law on its campus or student body.
