By Sarah Natchipolsky
The SGA hosted a panel discussion Monday to provide students with information on birth control, to clear up misconceptions around it and to show how they can best access it.
The panel featured representatives from the University Health Center, Planned Parenthood and the Pregnancy Aid Center, a Maryland nonprofit organization that provides health care to low-income women.
Panelists began by describing the reproductive services their organizations offer and outlining the different types of birth control that are currently on the market. Audience members then got the chance to ask questions or submit questions via an online document if they were uncomfortable with asking in person.
The panelists stressed the importance of discussing birth control prior to a sexual encounter to avoid any participants finding themselves caught off guard or unprepared.
“Communication is the foundation of having a healthy relationship and engaging in healthy sexual experiences,” said Olivia Mays, an assistant for the sexual health program at the University Health Center.
The speakers addressed concerns over confidentiality, assuring attendees that only their medical providers can access their records and may not reveal medical information without patient consent.
Mays said that students who receive reproductive services and use insurance benefits to pay for it can call their insurance companies and ask for an explanation of provided services if they are 18 or older.
“That gives you a lot more control over your visits and allows you to still use your insurance without that fear of your parents finding out,” she said.
The panelists also discussed the pricing of different services and birth control methods, as well as how to choose which method to use.
This is the third consecutive year that the SGA has hosted the birth control town hall. The association chose to continue holding the discussions because they wanted to reach more students, according to Colleen Herrmann, the deputy director of health and wellness for the SGA.
“I think there’s a lot more to be learned,” Herrmann said. “And I think for some people knowledge of birth control stops at condoms and the pill, and there’s obviously so many more options out there.”
Only 24 states and the District of Columbia require public schools to provide sex education, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, about 67.5% of college students had sex in the past 12 months, according to the 2018 National College Health Assessment.
A sophomore cell biology & molecular genetics and women’s studies double major who requested to remain anonymous, attended the town hall both as a member of the SGA’s health and wellness committee and because she felt that her knowledge on birth control options and access was lacking.
“I never knew the exact steps to go to your local Planned Parenthood or what [birth control] would cost,” she said. “I’m so clueless about a lot of things … I think a lot of people are in the same boat as me.”