Free condoms, lubricants, STD prevention, testing and counseling are all services are offered to University of Miami students, yet many walk past them without ever knowing they exist.
Through the Student Health Service, the Wellness Center and student-led initiatives, UM has built a network of sexual health resources designed to protect students and open up conversations around safe sex.
The University’s approach is twofold — make contraception and testing easy to access while breaking down the stigma that stops students from seeking resources in the first place.
Free external condoms are available in many locations around campus such as the Student Health Service waiting area and exam rooms, the front desks of all campus housing buildings and the bathrooms in the Rathskeller, making protection as simple as picking it up between classes.
For many, privacy makes a difference. Olivia Attalla, a graduate student at UM, says that privacy helps avoid the stigma that can come with being seen purchasing certain products.
“If you are young and people see you stopping to get that, you feel judged. Even if your teacher walks by,” Attalla said.
With the Safer Sex Express program, students can discreetly order the supplies online through a form and pick them up on campus once ready.
“[The form] is nice because it is free and you get everything you need,” Attalla said, who noted that the online form makes the process feel like “grocery shopping.”
Safer Sex Express provides a wide range of supplies, from different types of condoms to lubricants and dental dams. A full list can be found on the University of Miami website.
For students who want services beyond supplies, the University of Miami Health System offers Promote2Prevent, which provides free and confidential STD testing, counseling and education for young people across Miami-Dade.
The university is working toward a healthier, stigma-free campus and encouraging students to protect themselves. This allows students to keep their sex less stressful, and a lot safer, one condom at a time.