<p>We have a basket of free condoms in the staff office that we keep stocked with a variety of different brands, types, and flavors. The condoms are bought at the beginning of each year for one of our residence hall’s annual condom casino, used as poker chips in the event which raises money for AIDS research, and then redistributed to all of the residence halls on campus as stock for the year. Walking through my building with handfuls of condoms is really quite normal for me. </p>
<p>They’re also sold in the vending machine, but I feel a little weird about that actually. Given that it gets cold in there, it seems like this might threaten the integrity of the latex. Still, it is better to use the vending machine condom over no condom.</p>
<p>It’s ironic that the same groups that are anti-abortion and anti birth control are silent regarding the education and welfare of those children of unwed mothers, yet largest determinants of a child’s limited future prospects are: unwed, young, under-educated mother. Birth control should be readily available, so that abortion isn’t the birth control of last choice.</p>
<p>Shippensburg has had the machine for about two years. It also contains condoms, decongestants, and pregnancy tests. The machine is located in the health center, which is accessible only to students and university employees (all of whom are at least 17).</p>
<p>I respectfully disagree. I am involved in the pro-life community. Many of my friends have adopted, are helping fund adoptions, are foster parents, go above and beyond to help unwed moms and follow through with these children and moms well into the adulthood of the children. Unplanned pregnancy happens and we hope and pray we can help young pregnant moms make informed decisions that includes adoption and even raising the child if that is what they would desire. You can’t know all of our stories, those of us in prolife circles, and we have made plenty of mistakes but please don’t assume some of us aren’t out there supporting moms and children for many years. Believe me when I say how grateful I am that some women with unplanned pregnancies choose to keep the baby.</p>
<p>PS. Personally, I’m not opposed to some types of birth control and I’d have to say most of the people in the pro-life movement that I know (barring the conservative Catholics and certain portions of the Evangelical Christian community) are not opposed to certain types of birth control, either.</p>
<p>I would say that there are very few non-Catholic Christians who are opposed to birth control. Even among evangelicals and fundamentalist Protestants there are few who think it’s wrong–although there are some who choose not to use it and to have big families.</p>
<p>This seems to be true in my circles, Hunt, though many are opposed to what is termed “abortificant” birth control methods such as the pill that allows the sperm and the egg to come together and then be destroyed. But not everyone has thought through or investigated the issue for sure. Much grace is needed in dealing with this topic among conservative Christians. (I never use the word Fundamentalist, though I suppose people might label me as such if I am pro-life.)</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, there are very few Catholics who are opposed to birth control–98% use it. This really makes it hard to understand the virulent stance the celibacy takes on it, when even the believers don’t believe in it.</p>
<p>^The “celibacy” is following the will of God as they see it. Doesn’t matter if 98% of Catholics disagree. How can the Pope’s pronouncements be wrong? He is “infallible.”</p>
<p>LOL at “the celibacy”–was that a Freudian slip?</p>
<p>I’m curious how expensive these pills are…I know every so often I pay for a bag of cheetos and it doesn’t come out. Are kids going to be hitting the vending machines trying to get their morning-after pill to fall down to the bottom?</p>
<p>At $25 a pop I don’t think Plan B will become Plan A, no. Plan A is a lot cheaper. Either covered by insurance or condom-price (which from this thread sounds a lot like free).</p>
<p>And for what it’s worth, during freshman orientation week, both of my daughter’s RAs had floor meetings with their residents and told them exactly where they could get a hold of free condoms in the dorm 24/7.</p>
<p>I think this is ok but I hope there is educational materials available concerning side effects etc…</p>
<p>One of the worst things I ever saw was my cousins friend who had an encounter, got very sick afterward, went to ER and asked for this and the nurse was rude and judgemental to her. Said “we don’t do those types of things here.” Discharged her with no counseling. She came to me crying, devastated…we went to planned parenthood. Yes, this girl made a poor decision to have unprotected sex but she was in no position to have a baby.</p>