Colleges' representatives gather on USC's campus for forum
Representatives from 18 South Carolina schools and officers from local and national organizations came together at the Inn at USC Wednesday morning to discuss the prevalence of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases and infections on college campuses.
The forum's attendees argued that college students need access to reproductive health care and reference information to help ensure that they can maintain healthy lifestyles and succeed in the classroom.
In South Carolina, the birth rate among 15- to 19-year-olds in 2010 was the lowest ever recorded, a drop of 26 percent since 2000, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
To ensure that it keeps dropping, university leaders heard from experts in the field about the potential for preventative legislation, organizations, websites, social media and educational curricula to inform students about topics like birth control and contraceptives, STD/STI prevention and next-day health care.
Two-thirds of all teen pregnancies in South Carolina are attributed to those 18-19 years old, according to the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Implementing preventative tactics at student health and fitness centers and local clinics is the best way to reach students who may be uninformed, misinformed or scared to reach out about topics concerning sex, argued Shameka Wilson, of USC's Student Health Services.
Many campaigns, like "Be in the Know," a one-hour video that provides information about contraceptives and STI prevention, can be implemented in University 101 courses, Wilson said.
Attendees also discussed how to promote condom distribution, whether through student organizations, residence halls, peer education programs — or just in bathrooms.
"The goal is to help campuses build resources and a network to help prevent unintended pregnancy," Cayci Banks,director of communications for South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, said. "[We] hope to educate and provide resources to students who will encourage and inspire others on campus."
Young adult sexual health is a national issue being addressed with federal legislation. Wednesday marked the last day of the Supreme Court discussion of constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
The act contains a number of provisions, including some which concern private health care plans' coverage of contraceptives and the "morning-after" pill.
"Through any number of mechanisms, there's no reason students shouldn't have access to affordable and effective methods of contraceptives," Andrea Kane, of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said.
Kane advocated for a sexual health orientation curriculum and for resources regarding sexual health to be made available online and on campuses.
One such program, Student Sex Life, is an educational resource about sex and healthy relationships that encourages young adults to make smart decisions and improve their success, retention and completion.
It offers an interactive, online site with information about birth control and contraceptives, STIs and their prevention, the effects of alcohol on decisions and more.