Face off: wrapping up the contraceptives debate - For safe sex, go to Safeway

By Gabe Taylor

Despite the rapidly changing world that surrounds the campus, Santa Clara University still holds strong to Jesuit traditions and rules, especially when dealing with contraceptives. Although college is portrayed in movies and stories as being jam-packed with partying and sex, Santa Clara remains to be one of the many Jesuit – and Catholic – universities that do not have contraceptives available on campus.

And for a Catholic institution, that is the correct move. Of course ideological and religious values are the main reason behind the decision.

But it's important to look at it from another angle as well. It teaches students to be responsible. When we jump into life as a college student, we shop for groceries, we setup doctors' appointments, and we take full control of our lives.

What this also entails at Santa Clara is picking up condoms from an off-campus location, or traveling just a half of a mile to Planned Parenthood to receive a birth control prescription.

In a study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002, researchers found that only 16 out of the 133 Catholic colleges surveyed reported that contraceptives are made available on campus.

Since Santa Clara is considered a catholic institution, the school abides by the rules of the Archdiocese of San Jose, and, ultimately, the Vatican. According to Health Educator Alison Bateman, the reason lies primarily in the morality of the Catholic Church regarding premarital sex.

"There's no topic that's taboo, or something that we can't talk about; we cannot provide condoms," said Bateman, who runs the Wellness Center.

Cowell Health Center prescribes birth control to women for reasons unrelated to sex. Birth control is known for helping cure skin problems, specifically acne, in addition to other health related conditions. However, some students argue that women should have the choice of being put on birth control whether they are sexually active or not.

But Bateman feels that if the students are mature enough to engage in sexual activity, then they should be "taking the responsibility to go out and get condoms, get birth control" from sources outside of the Santa Clara health center.

Despite its inability to provide contraceptives to students, the university is allowed and encouraged to inform students on the matter of sex.

The Wellness Center, Cowell Health Center, Campus Ministry and Counseling and Psychological Services open their doors to students in need of guidance and information. Bateman is a strong believer in providing the students with all the necessary information they need to feel comfortable in a college environment.

"We want students to be as informed as possible and know about all the resources that are available to them whether they are on campus or not," said Bateman.

Safeway, 7-Eleven, and Planned Parenthood are all close by the campus, allowing students to easily access condoms and birth control if needed.

The Santa Clara Wellness Center releases a monthly pamphlet entitled "Potty Talk," as a way to inform students about both physical and emotional health.

In addition to the monthly newsletter that is placed in each residence hall bathrooms the Wellness Center has brochures readily available that cover a vast range of health issues.

"It's certainly not sufficient," said Bateman, explaining that she would like to reach the students in a more direct manner. "And that's part of why when we do sexual health education that we want to make it as personal as possible, including incorporating one's values into decisions about sexual activity."

Santa Clara still understands that sex is common on college campuses.

The university doesn't simply bundle the issue up and throw it in the closet.

"It's really important to find that balance between the catholic values and then being able to meet an individual's best needs for their health and wellness," said Bateman, adding that she urges students to explore their own values as well.

"There's a lot of passion around not just sex itself, but just the larger context around a person's values and relationships" said Bateman. "And I think that speaks to how important it is to be able to tend to the bigger picture with students, rather than only giving them basic information about sex."

What it comes down to is maturity. What it comes down to is making smart decisions.

If students are sexually active, having to go grab a pack of condoms off the shelf of a Safeway is in no way a difficult feat.

It shows responsibility.

After all, we are college students, and we need to begin preparing for the ever-imminent real world. Businesses don't include condoms in their benefits packages. And Santa Clara University should not have to provide them for its students either.

So be responsible, and realize that condoms are just like many things in life, important if not always as convenient as possible.

Gabe Taylor is a junior political science and communications double major and the editor of the Sports section of The Santa Clara.