We did it!!! Allegheny College Reproductive Health Coalition achieved our goal for the year! We have Next Choice available to students at the health center for $35. Cheaper than anywhere else you could get it in town (hint: you can't get it in town because they are all backwards and don't think women should have control of their bodies). 

We also have STD testing starting next semester, and HPV vaccinations!

We had a rivietting discussion with administration, students, and staff at our coffee shop two weeks ago (where we gave out free condoms!) and it really showed the admin that we needed these services on campus!

Hooray!

My computer was temporarily out of commission, but now it is back in action, and so is this blog.

Our Valentine's Day was awesome. We taped business cards for ReproCo (the nickname for Allegheny College Reproductive Health Coalition) on to the condoms, and passed them out.

This week we tabled with the birth control petition, passed out buttons for Planned Parenthood, had the PP online petition up on a computer for people to sign, had cards for condom application, had pamphlets with info on STDs, and filmed a "We Stand With Planned Parenthood" film! It was so busy, but so worth it.

We also met with several administraters. The reason for ReproCo is simple. We do not have adequet reproductive health care access on campus. Our health center cannot give gynological exams, does not provide birth control, and does not have Plan B. On top of a whole bunch of barriers to get the few services we do have. It is already difficult enough to get services in our area, as it is largely conservative, and even asking to get your b/c RX filled is likely to get you a stern talking to about Jesus, and will often result in them not filling your RX at all. We have been working to get services on campus, meeting with the President, various Deans, and budget officials. It is slow progress, but hopefully we are making headway.

Tomorrow a group of us are going to the closest pro-choice march and sending a message that low cost birth control should be available to everyone.

Our video:

Last night ReproCo met and discussed various ways to go about organizing our group. So far, the health center thinks we are doing great, which is a big improvement from the last time something like this happened on campus (my freshman year). Our director said we might even have Plan B on campus this semester!

Also we printed out little business cards (500 or so of them), and taped them onto the condoms. We were unable to get a tabling set up, most of the tables were booked by organizations doing candy grams or selling flowers, but we stormed around handing out our condoms anyway.

Remember folks, have sex first! Then go out to that fancy dinner! Otherwise you are going to come home in a wine/food coma and not be able to have the awesomely (safe) sex you wanted to have! 

I am bisexual. Condoms are wonderful when I am with a guy. But there are so many rumors running amok about girl on girl sex. Or, a guy having oral sex with a girl. There is the rumor that saran wrap works. Some say on use saran wrap if it is microwave safe. Some say don't use it if it is microwave safe.

Why are there always campaigns to give out free condoms, and not dental dams? At the health center on campus you can buy a pack of 6 condoms for $1.00. A single dental dam costs $0.75. Why the desparity? Are women not supposed to have sex with each other? Sure, a condom can be used by a heterosexual couple, and a gay couple. Girls in a relationship with each other are s.o.l, as are men who want to please the ladies.

Can we get some dental dams in the future?? 

I just got my box of 500 condoms. It was crazy. I have expected about 5 packages over the last few days, so each time one came in, I had to guess which package was which. I opened the package in the middle of the campus center, to great applaus. I explained to the surrounding people that it was for the Great American Condom Campaign and that it was an effort to raise awareness about youth having unsafe sex.

Myself and one other student from my college were selected to be SafeSites, and we are in the same organization, Reproductive Health Coalition, so we will be using our condoms jointly. If you would like to check out our site (I am the webmistres, and it is still under construction! But the information should all be there in the next week) please go to www.wix.com/reproco/alleghenyreproco .  

We are trying to raise awareness about sexual health, and preventing the spread of STD/STI and pregnancy from happening on campus. Part of the is to make sure that condoms are easily available to students. 

The health center only carries a small supply, and they charge for them. The Resident Advisors should be providing their residents with condoms, but they have a hard time getting reimbursed for the condoms they buy, and a lot of them have stopped doing this all together. 

We are trying to start a condom drop or mail order condoms, where you can email us and we can deliver a condom to you.

Another plan is to have a safe sex symposium with the Global AIDS Committee, Queers n Allies, and other organizations dedicated to healthy living.

Look for updates!

PS - LOVE THE VARIETY!