School Supplies. Check. Dorm Essentials. Check. Birth Control. Check.
As summer comes to a close, a new semester inches closer. For some of us, that means the start of a new school year. For others, it means sending your child off for the first day of college or moving them into a dorm. Whether you are the student or the parent, it’s important to consider one little item that probably didn’t make it onto your back to school checklist.
As young adults likely experiencing the first taste of freedom from parental supervision and school/teacher oversight, incoming freshmen often don’t take the time to consider sexual health before engaging in more… ahem… risqué behavior. This lack of foresight often contributes to an unplanned bundle of joy– 75% of which fall in the 18-19 age group– or an STI, neither of which would be ideal at the beginning of a college career. However, all the stress and drama of pregnancy tests and uncomfortable conversations can be PREVENTED. How? By scheduling a wellness exam!
These days, many colleges and universities have a student health center, but if they don’t, there is likely one nearby they can point out to you. With a visit to a local health center, you can receive services such as HIV/STI testing and treatment, prescription and non-prescription contraception, emergency contraception, breast screening, pregnancy tests… the list goes on and on. And they probably have free condoms, which kill two birds with one stone and protect against pregnancy and STIs!
Be prepared this year. Make an appointment to get everything “down there” checked out. And if you don’t want a baby at this point in your life, go over your birth control options and decide what best fits your lifestyle.
To view local health centers near you, click here.
To view the different methods of birth control, click here.