Condoms are readily available on campus for free, and this is certainly applaudable. Students living on campus can get them from their residence fellow, and other students can get condoms from health services, the Womyn’s Centre, and the Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) office.
It’s great that CUSA and the university recognize that the cost of condoms shouldn’t be a barrier to preventing sexually transmitted infections (STI) or pregnancy.
Unfortunately, there’s a lack of availability for forms of protection needed for sex that isn’t intercourse. This excludes couples in which neither person has a penis, or who don’t prefer intercourse. Dental dams for oral sex, female condoms, and other forms of protection aren’t available on campus for free. Therefore, students who participate in anything that is not intercourse don’t enjoy the same level of access to protection against STIs.
Also, not enabling people without penises to protect themselves from both pregnancy and STIs by only providing condoms is a reductive view of sex. Carleton needs to equip itself more thoroughly for a student population that wants to have safer sex.
Female contraception, dental dams, and condoms should be provided during frosh week. Additionally, all of these items should be available from residence fellows. This would promote a safer and more welcoming environment for all students.
