Excuse me, may I have a condom?
By Maranda

I am a senior at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and the vice president of SHAPE (Student Health Associates of Peer Educators). SHAPE is a health organization that focuses on educating the Spelman campus and surrounding community on issues relevant to their health. When our SHAPE advisor informed us that the school policy forbids distribution of condoms on campus except by Health Services, we decided that policy needed to be revisited.

We cannot afford to treat sex as a taboo subject. The HIV/AIDS rate among African American females is striking. The 1999 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report stated that out of 6,855 infected woman, 4,734 of them were black. Spelman College is an institution of higher learning for women of color. It should encourage healthy behavior and quality decision-making. Our concern with Spelman’s policy was that only Health Services administration and staff could make condoms available to students. First of all, most Spelman students are not aware that condoms are provided free of charge upon request from Health Services. It is important that Health Services makes this service more widely known and the condoms more readily accessible. Furthermore, this policy constrains health groups such as SHAPE which hold educational sessions, but are not allowed to make condoms available at its educational forums. These presentations give far more information and detailed instructions on correct usage than students would get from the Health Services distribution.

Another SHAPE member and I put our concerns in writing and sent a letter to the office of the President of Spelman College. Two weeks passed and we heard nothing, so we decided to go to the Student Affairs Office to schedule an appointment with the Dean. Two days later, we found that we had been rescheduled. When we checked to confirm that appointment, we found that the Dean had cancelled the appointment and referred us to the Director of Health Services.

Undeterred, we met with the Director of Health Services and shared our concerns about the policy. She agreed with most of our suggestions, but there is still confusion within the administration about what the condom policy really means. This lack of concern needs to be addressed, and we won’t rest until it is. The health of the Spelman community depends upon it!