Duke It Out: College Condoms

April 2, 2010     Posted in Reality

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like banning 21st birthday shots) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]


By Lauren H

This week, under the category of “news that made me say WTF!” was this little story about students at Georgetown University taping their mouths and chaining themselves to a statue in front of the school in protest of the fact the Georgetown doesn’t provide or help to provide contraceptive options like condoms to it’s students. The school, a private Catholic university stands by the religious policies of the Catholic church under which it was founded and refuses to provide any contraception that prevents the creation of life. Let the debate begin!

OK, let’s go ahead and get this out before the NYC-liberal-arts-student part of me literally explodes – SERIOUSLY! Are you freakin’ kidding me?! Georgetown, a major university, which does not require it’s students to follow Catholic doctrine, is still, in this day and age, refusing to hand out condoms!? Are you gonna provide daycare, Georgetown?

Ah, I feel better now.

But honestly, there are a lot of good reasons why Georgetown should step up and help with the sexual health of it’s students. To begin with, Georgetown is located in Washington D.C. where officials have declared a citywide HIV/AIDS epidemic. That means that, completely outside of the pregnancy prevention argument, Georgetown is refusing to help it’s students protect themselves from devastating, life-changing illness. And yes, students at GU could just go around the corner to the drugstore and buy their own condoms, but as many many schools have found out, it’s a lot harder to get students to do that (when you’re this close to getting it on in your dorm, that CVS might as well be China).

And this isn’t just a Georgetown issue, students at religious universities all over the country encounter these same things -  last year, a student at Stonehill College collected free condoms from family-planning clinics and distributed them at school. Stonehill’s administration found out and went around confiscating them from would-be sexy-timers.

And yet, though it goes against all of my personal sexual beliefs, I do have to defend Georgetown’s choices too. It is a private, religious school. They don’t make any qualms about their beliefs or that the school itself upholds those ideas – if people choose to go there anyway, then they have to accept that the school won’t violate it’s principles for them. The university, all private religious schools, and the students there who do follow those doctrines have a right to their beliefs and to force them to do otherwise would be wrong.  To fund and staff a school organization aimed at providing contraception would cost money, and by that virtue, take money away from it’s staff and students. While some of those students would benefit from that organization, there are also those who would not want to use them and isn’t it unfair then that their tuition money would be spent on something they can’t use – essentially wasting it for them? If students choose to have sex, shouldn’t they at least be adult enough to remember to make a drugstore run before the big date?

OK, so it’s thoughts and opinions time! Should religious universities like Georgetown buck up and get with the times? Should they at least be obligated to give their students options? Or should the students just accept that there are certain things that go along with the schools they’ve picked and make their own arrangements?

Let’s hear it!

26 Comments on "Duke It Out: College Condoms"

  1. Lily says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20104:08 am 

    I agree with the latter part of your statement. This is a private university, and as such they are perfectly within their rights to offer, or not offer, 'free' things, be it condoms, T-shirts, or water bottles. Seriously people, you are in college now, if you are not adult enough to take $10 and buy a box of condoms, then you are not adult enough to be having sex. Georgetown isn't in the middle of nowhere, it would be easy enough to stop at the CVS after your morning Starbucks run. Georgetown isn't banning condoms, or sex, or anthing of the sort, it is just not handing out freebies. I love free stuff as much as the next person, but it is the school's choice.

  2. Sara C - Fordham says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20105:59 am 

    I go to Fordham, which like Georgetown is a Jesuit school. Not only are condoms forbidden from being distributed on campus, but the student health center will not fill prescriptions for birth control, even if you're taking the pill for medical reasons (skin care, menstrual regularity, etc). And as if that weren't enough, when the Red Cross wanted to come to Fordham to provide free HIV tests to students, the school wouldn't allow their personnel or advertisements on campus.

    I'm not Catholic, but I knew coming to a Catholic school would mean I'd have to live by their rules. And while I can see the logic in forbidding birth control, or anything indicitive of sexual relations, on campus, I don't agree with it.

    However, what outrages me is that the health center DOES provide–and heavily advertises–the Gardasil vaccine, to prevent the transmission of the STI HPV. So, we can't have birth control, or test for HIV, but you'll freely distribute vaccines against sexually transmitted infections? Where's the logic in that?

  3. Steph says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20106:33 am 

    I'm a very liberal person, one who doesn't belong to a religion, and I think that it isn't right to expect a Catholic private university to go against its beliefs by providing contraceptives. If a non-Catholic person chooses to go to a Catholic school then, yes, they should expect to have to buy their own. I feel that if someone is having sex they should be mature enough to get on the pill or take a trip to the store for condoms. I get it that it's not always easy to be prepared when you want to be, so just always be prepared even if you don't expect anything.

    I understand why it would be frustrating and appear as if they flat out don't care about their students' sexual health, but it IS a part of their religion and it's important to be respectful of everyone's beliefs. Especially if they're different from our own.

  4. Miriam says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20106:41 am 

    I'm really torn on this. As a member of a sexual health peer education group at my school, I'm obviously all about making sure that people have birth control and prevention against STIs.

    On the other hand, as you said, Georgetown is a private, religious school. There are hundreds of colleges in America; if you don't like Georgetown's rules, you don't have to go there.

    Furthermore, condoms are available in any supermarket or drugstore, and they're not all that expensive. You can even order them online and they'll come in a discreet unlabeled box. If you're a student at a school that doesn't provide free condoms, the school is NOT to blame if you go and have unprotected sex then. Georgetown is hardly in the middle of nowhere. I feel like students can buy condoms somewhere in Washington, DC. I mean, since they'll probably continue having sex after they finish college, won't they have to do that anyway?

    Anyway, those are my thoughts on the matter. I can't really say whether Georgetown is "right" or "wrong" in this situation. But there are many ways for students to either avoid going to religious schools or to obtain condoms on their own if they do choose to go there.

  5. Kyrstin says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20107:33 am 

    In theory, it shouldn't be a problem because the Catholic students shouldn't be having sex before marriage.

  6. Kat says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20107:44 am 

    "its", not "it's". I wouldn't have corrected it, but you did it twice. Sorry, grammar pet peeve of mine!

  7. Rachel says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20108:48 am 

    Does it really matte? College kids are grown adults and should have the ability to walk into drug stores and make purchases.

  8. Summer says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20109:48 am 

    I'm a confirmed Lutheran, and believe God made us sexual human beings. He made us each perfect in our own way, and created us with a range of emotional maturity and sexuality.

    There is no "right time" for sex for everyone. Some people do need to wait until marriage to truly feel the commitment and trust in the Lord and your partner. Other people feel they need another boundary (18th birthday, high school or college graduation, ect) to feel they have reached a point.

    I don't want to get married or have children. It's just a personal choice, as is the decision to have sex. Does this make me less of a christian to never want to sign a piece of paper legally linking me to another? Do I need to go without a basic human need simply because I never want to reproduce?

    The church on the whole may promote abstinence, but there needs to be some acceptance of personal choice in reality. Not everyone will follow this mold of "acceptable" behavior. Rather than condemn the health of those who chose a different path, a loving God would want them to be safe. Also, if you truly believe pre-marital sex participants to be so awful, consider the result if a baby resulted in the union: Abortion (also not promoted by the church), young parenthood (a life that could be unfair to the child, plus you would have to worry about these "heathens" raising a child) or adoption (with children all over the world lacking options).

    Also, handing out condoms doesn't mean you have to use them. Plenty of students in public schools receive them and throw them out (or do like we did- water balloon fight).

    I believe in an understanding, loving God- I find it hard to believe He would shun the health of one of His children

  9. syd says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 201010:27 am 

    They have every right to. They are a private institution and anyone who disagrees with their policies so much should have thought about that before enrolling. I went to Catholic high school, and I knew if I went to a place like Fordham it wouldn't be that easy to get birth control of any type on campus. So I went to a public university. Problem solved. I have friends at Fordham, Georgetown, and other Catholic schools….they go to the drugstore because they are grown adults responsible for their own sexual well-being. It's not like the deans are doing a daily inspection of dorm rooms and punishing those with pills and condoms. They're simply saying 'we are going to bide by the values of our religion, and we are not going to aid you in doing what we think is wrong.' But they won't stop you either! That's what's so fantastic about being an adult.

    Especially since, in the scheme of things, Catholic schools are the LEAST strict of all religious colleges. Sure, they don't cram packages of condoms in your mailbox and have free condom nights every other day, but they also won't stop you from doing what you do. Compared to many other Christian or religious colleges that will expel or otherwise punish you for holding hands in public or wearing a skirt that shows your knees, and who WILL inspect your room and punish you for having condoms (or PG-13 rated movies, or whatever). Yet I never hear complaints about Bible colleges, only Catholic colleges for not abiding by what society says. This speaks a lot about our nation…..we are very Protestant oriented, and even today, it's still totally acceptable to be prejudiced against Catholics.

  10. Meg says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 201011:40 am 

    I work for and attend a private Catholic University, and there's a lot that goes into making those decisions, and most of it, honestly, has to do with money. Private Universities run mostly off of donations (and whopping tuition bills) so if their dear donors catch whiff of encouragement of un-Catholic acts there goes the University's funding. It's just not worth it. Besides, we're all fucking adults here. If you're old enough to be having sex then you're old enough to be spending the money. Besides, private Catholic schools are fucking expensive. If you (or daddy) can afford the 50k tuition then you can afford the 10 bucks for a box of condoms. If you can't be responsible about sex then you shouldn't be doing it.

  11. cara says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 201012:51 pm 

    I go to a private Jesuit institution just like Georgetown and it is common understanding by everyone that condoms are not and should not be provided by the school. By everyone. In theory it shouldn't matter we shouldn't be having premarital sex and if we are we are smart enough to go buy some condoms.

  12. Christina says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20104:06 pm 

    While I agree that a student should have the maturity to buy their own condoms if necessary when they choose to attend a college with set beliefs, I think it's insane for any university to not provide birth control/HIV testing/etc. For birth control, not all girls using it are having sex; I'm a virgin, but my cycle is so messed up that I'm crying in pain for two weeks per month without it and physically incapable of getting out of bed. Plenty of virgins or people who aren't currently sexually active get HIV from other means. Providing these things isn't breaking their ethics against pre-marital sex and whatnot.

  13. pinktrickle.com says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20104:15 pm 

    It is better to be safe than sorry, regardless of religion, there are some serious side effects to not practicing safe-sex.

  14. Sara says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20107:34 pm 

    I'm all for providing protection and being liberal about sexuality. I think being against birth control on religious grounds is silly, but I don't have a say in what other people believe.

    The end of the matter is, however, they're a private university. They can do or not do whatever they please.

  15. sauer kraut says:
    Fri, 2nd Apr 20107:46 pm 

    Why is it a college's responsibility to provide condoms or any other form of contraception? Hate to sound like a neocon but whatever happened to personal responsibility?

    If you want you hair to be clean, buy shampoo.

    If you want your teeth to be clean, buy some floss.

    If you don't like zits, warts or herpes sores, buy the appropriate lube.

    And if you want less friction to go with the diction, get off your arse and buy your own damn condoms.

  16. Sara C - Fordham says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 20101:47 pm 

    I think I'd like to clarify my point. Like I said, "I’m not Catholic, but I knew coming to a Catholic school would mean I’d have to live by their rules." It's been four years and I've never had a problem finding my own BC when needed. I never once expected Fordham to provide it for me.

    My dissatisfaction lies in the hypocrisy of their policies. No birth control, because a Catholic school doesn't want their young students having premarital sex–gotcha, I feel that. But to provide vaccines against STIs seems to suggest that the university doesn't believe its students stay chaste. If you want to bill yourself as an institution of higher ideals, don't send conflicting messages.

  17. I'm liberal too says:
    Sun, 4th Apr 20107:31 pm 

    Religion aside- I kind of like the idea of sex remaining more private. Of course, I'm pro condom and advocate birth control/safe-sex/protection, anything imaginable…

    BUT I don't need some student handing me condoms on my way to class. One: it's slightly embarrassing and uncomfortable, and Two: I feel worthy/smart enough to make my own decisions. i do not need a "progressive" student to TELL ME to practice safe sex. we all know the consequences of unsafe sex! please give us some credit for our intelligence and ability to buy our own damn condoms.

  18. Tiffani says:
    Mon, 5th Apr 20104:17 am 

    Sara C- you can get hpv without having sex. I'm a virgin and plan on staying one until I get married, and my doctor's are still telling me get vaccinated.

    But back on topic, I think these students knew what they were getting into when they chose to go to a Catholic University. And since when is it your school's responsibility to make sure you're having safe sex? If you can't be the responsible adult that you should be, especially having sex, you should be able to go get your own protection.

    I mean, who's gonna buy it for you when you graduate? Your boss?

  19. Ash says:
    Mon, 5th Apr 20104:39 am 

    Marquette University (also Jesuit) also does not do any of this. However, there is a Walgreens on campus and a Planned Parenthood down the street. While it seems outdated that the university doesn't provide its students with materials to prevent STI's, it's following the doctrine provided to it by the Vatican (no, I'm not kidding). But, if you're not Catholic and you attend a Catholic university, you have to respect its founding and if you choose to engage in acts that the university does not provide materials for, you'll have to provide for yourself. So, I'm not against a campus providing condoms, I just think you have to remember the type of university that you attend.

  20. thehatingexpert says:
    Tue, 6th Apr 20104:46 pm 

    I think it's time that colleges acknowledge that their students are going to bone each other, and pull up their big boy pants and deal with it. Students who drop out due to pregnancy look terrible for their stats, so if for that reason alone, they need to be active in encouraging safe sex.

    http://thehatingexpert.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/s…

  21. modern student says:
    Thu, 8th Apr 201011:34 am 

    IT'S A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY! Students should know that they are attending one, so no, the university shouldn't have to provide condoms! Where did students get that crazy idea anyways?

  22. Casey says:
    Thu, 8th Apr 20101:22 pm 

    Awww, what? Did Mommy not send you any condoms in your monthly care package? GROW UP!

  23. kendra says:
    Sun, 11th Apr 20109:38 pm 

    in a catholic university, they obviously aren't going to go against what their religion stands for. condoms aren't that expensive. and they're free at any health clinic. sounds like somebody just wants to pick a fight.

    http://www.beerboysandbs.blogspot.com

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