Alyssa GregoryWith its immense abundance of condoms, Washington University likely possesses one of the highest per capita levels of condoms in the nation. One could describe it as a ‘plethora’ of condoms, even. Students, however, do not take advantage of the mountains of condoms at their disposal because the university does not distribute them as effectively as it could.
Most people know they can get standard issue condoms from one of the little baskets in the Health Services waiting area. Some people, however, are too bashful to grab condoms from the baskets when other people may spot them. Additionally, while a small minority of students may participate in condom-requiring activities on main campus, the vast majority of hanky-panky occurs in the residential areas on the South 40 and off campus. Health Services isn’t exactly the most convenient condom depot in these cases.
If the university invested in condom dispensers for the bathrooms in residence halls, students would be much more likely to make use of the condoms that WU so liberally supplies to us.
Condom dispensers are expensive, often costing well over $100 each. However, WU could easily recover the cost by charging a small fee for each condom. Even 25 cents per condom would pay for a machine after a short time; it would only take 400 condoms to reach $100. Orientation week alone would drain well over 400 condoms from WU’s supply. WILD and Bauhaus would also be high demand weekends.
There are other ways students can obtain condoms, but they are not nearly as convenient and anonymous. Currently students can purchase them in Bear Mart (not on your meal plan-cash only), but this is just begging for awkward glances from employees and fellow students. Plus, students will have to buy other miscellaneous items that they don’t really want just to make it look like they weren’t there solely to purchase a condom.
Some RAs keep condoms stocked in their rooms. However, asking your RA for a condom immediately clues them in to a part of your life you may not want to share-especially if it’s ‘floorcest.’
Students afraid of being embarrassed can obtain condoms in the bathrooms of Health Services. But again, the trek all the way across campus isn’t exactly convenient in the heat of the moment.
Additionally, a condom dispenser would allow for more variety in condom choice. They could be stocked with the standard spermicidal and non-spermicidal. Not everyone needs spermicide in their condom (gay couples, for example), and spermicide is a skin irritant that actually increases the risk of STD transmission. WU condoms are currently non-spermicidal, and students can obtain a small packet of spermicide if they wish, but a dispenser would make choosing much easier and more convenient.
On another note, if students had the option of choosing more ‘fun’ condoms (think strawberry or chocolate-flavored), they might be more likely to actually use them during oral sex. Oral sex is one of the most popular forms of sexual activity on a college campus, and unfortunately, it is not a risk-free activity. The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness recommends that students use a condom or dental dam during oral sex to help minimize the risk of STD transmission. The condoms WU supplies, however, are not designed for this use, and the taste presents a hurdle that many couples cannot overcome.
One concern would be that students might abuse the condom dispensers and take out hundreds of condoms, resulting in interesting new ‘floor decorations’ during such high profile times as Parents’ Weekend and April Welcome. However, the 25 cents per condom charge should help to keep such antics to a minimum, because the price can quickly add up.
It’s admirable that WU provides as many free condoms as it does to its students. However, people would use them even more if they were more conveniently accessible, placed in dispensers in the bathrooms of the residence halls. There is some merit to the argument that students shouldn’t be having sex unless they are mature enough to ask someone for a condom. However, the university’s primary interest in this case should be to foster the health of the community, and having condoms easily accessible in dispensers goes a long way toward this goal.