While some college campuses across the country are making it easier for students to have access to condoms, don’t expect Fairfield to be a part of that list any time soon.

“None of the Catholic colleges have condoms available,” said Julia Duffy, Director of the Student Health Center on campus. “Catholic colleges can’t be seen as promoting pre-marital sex.”

Some Fairfield students said they understand the policy, but don’t think it is a wise one.

Resident Assistant Rosalba Conde ’14 believes that Fairfield’s Catholic orientation should not prevent it from providing contraceptives because “Fairfield does not implement Jesuit values or religion on anybody, [even though] it is a Jesuit school.”

USA Today recently reported that Tufts University had contraceptives available for students in their vending machines. Next to midnight snacks were boxes of two condoms sold for $1.50. The University of New Hampshire, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University have campus health centers that provide students with free condoms, the story said.

Quinnipiac University, a local competitor and a nonsectarian university, provides condoms for students, as well as prescriptions for contraceptives such as birth control.

However, Manhattan College, a Roman Catholic institution, does not provide contraceptives, according to its health center secretary, Michele Reyes.

Fordham University, a local Jesuit University, also follows the Christian stance on reproductive issues and does not provide contraceptives or prescribe medicine allowing for contraception, according to its Senior Director of Communications, Bob Howe.

However, Fordham does abide by New York state law, which requires that the student insurance plan cover contraception methods, and students are able to use an insurance not affiliated with the University to obtain prescriptions for birth control.

USA Today also reported that in addition to contraceptives, colleges are increasing safe sex education programs on their campuses.

When it comes to educating students on safe sex, Fairfield plays an almost nonexistent role.

According to Conde, they are “indirectly promoting unsafe sex” on a small college campus where sexually transmitted diseases can spread very quickly and teenage pregnancies can occur.

According to the American Sexual Health Association, one in four teenagers contracts an STD, and half of all sexually active persons comes into contact with an STD by 25 years old.

Fairfield’s Health Center does provide STD testing for students. In April it is offering free testing which helps students with privacy issues and saves them money. Duffy said that more and more students are taking advantage of it.

Malgorzata Kielbowicz ’15 does not believe that it is Fairfield’s responsibility to make sure condoms are accessible because students are “at an age when [they] should know all of these risks and should be prepared” if they are going to have sex.

Alexander Harrington ’15 said that students are generally prepared when it comes to having condoms, but it “could be a good thing” if Fairfield provided students with contraceptives.

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