Kennesaw State’s Health Promotion and Wellness department and the Peer Health Owls handed out safer sex kits to students on the Kennesaw campus on Wednesday, Sept. 5, to promote their new condom distribution program.
Health Promotion Coordinator Dalida Brown said the new program, The Condom Concierge, allows students to be able to select from various contraceptives online, such as condoms, lubricants and other barriers and pick them up in person from the department.
Previously, students had to walk into the department and browse until they found what they were looking for. With this new online program in place, Brown said the department hopes to take away the anxiety and embarrassing situations that could arise with physically walking into the lobby and buying sexual barrier devices.
Brown said the intent of distributing safer sex kits to students on campus was to “improve the balance of the intellectual, emotional, physical, social, environmental and spiritual development of students through awareness. Part of physical wellness is taking care of our bodies, which would include practicing safer sex.
Three factors went into modifying the sexual health program. First, Brown said students use to walk in and end up taking more condoms and other contraceptives than necessary. The department would then lose track of how many contraceptives were available for students. Now, Brown said students will be able to receive what that they actually need and receive them for free.
Brown said the update to the program also came about in light of a study recently published by the American College Health Association. According to their National College Health Assessment, nearly 45 percent of sexually active students did not use any form of contraception when having vaginal intercourse. Furthermore, out of students who reported having oral sex, only 5.5 percent reported using any type of protective barrier.
The Health and Wellness department is now able to provide free contraceptives on campus in addition to being able to educate students on the importance of sexual health.
The program means that KSU students will have “easier access to sexual health supplies. Students can order from the comfort of their home [and not have] to purchase these items — some of which can be expensive,” Brown said. “It also allows students to learn about and try new items that they may have never thought about before.”
Brown also mentioned that is important that students receive STI testing every six months and with each new partner, and she said it is key that protection is used during sexual activities.
The Health Promotion and Wellness department provides free HIV and Hepatitis C testing each semester to students. If any KSU student wishes to know more about sexual safety, they can stop by the Health Promotion and Wellness office in the Student Recreation and Activities Center during their office hours. Students can also visit their website, wellness.kennesaw.edu.
