Educators from Olin Health Center promote safe sex on campus — and they have the numbers to prove it.
Since the beginning of the school year, Olin's various sex education programs have given away nearly 80,000 condoms.
Many have been given away through a program called Condom Connection which provides residence hall mentors with information on sexually transmitted diseases, healthy relationships and, of course, condoms.
To fund the programs, the Residence Halls Association has granted Olin $2,000 per semester for the past few years, said Paula Wade, RHA director of health and safety.
A 2000 survey reported 54 percent of MSU students used condoms the last time they had sex. When the survey was readministered in 2006, the percentage had risen to 59 percent.
"It has definitely helped our community," said Brendon Mika, chief financial officer for RHA. "The Condom Connection is paying dividends to the entire community."
The program provides mentors with bags of educational materials and condoms at the beginning of the year. Mentors are able to refill their bags at Olin twice per semester. This year, about 280 mentors signed up.
Olin health educator Erin Williston runs Condom Connection and also trains student health advocates on giving presentations to residence halls.
"We take every opportunity to get out there and promote healthy relationships and safe sex," she said. "I believe that our program has had a huge impact on students."
Other Olin programs take a more direct approach. Williston said educational games such as "sex jeopardy" make the subject fun and interesting.
"Sometimes (mentors) call for information and then end up with a whole program designed for them," she said. "We want to give (students) a safe place to ask questions."
Olin's programs teach both abstinence and safe sex in order to let students make educated decisions.
It's important to make sure all students feel like they won't be judged or have certain beliefs about sex forced on them, Mika said.
"It is not about putting out our personal opinions," he said. "Our perspective is to give them the information and the supplies to make the best decision."
In addition to working with RHA, Wade works as a residence hall mentor.
She said students on her floor greatly benefited from Condom Connection.
"It's a really good experience," she said. "It helps students live the lifestyle they want to live."
