In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, heightening the debate between anti-abortion and abortion rights activists. This has made availability to Reproductive Health Care Resources into a key topic of conversation, primarily in more conservative states.
For students in college, access to Reproductive Health Care Resources can be an essential part of maintaining academic success. Unplanned pregnancy has the potential to diminish a student’s achievement due to a lack of transportation, money, or knowledge. At the University of Kentucky, encouraging the health and wellness of our students is a critical part of maintaining a safe and healthy community. The center for student and employee health resources at the University of Kentucky can be found at the University Health Service (UHS), which includes Gynecology & Genitourinary Primary Care.
Appointments offer gynecological services to all University of Kentucky students and the services available include preventive screenings and care for reproductive and sexual health concerns and acute conditions, pregnancy testing, and renewal of birth control prescriptions for a selection of hormonal contraception methods, including: the pill, the ring, the patch, and the shot.
The UHS also provides access to methods of non-hormonal contraceptive methods, including free condoms in the restrooms. Emergency contraception can also be used following unprotected sex or the suspected failure of another birth control method and can be found at the UHS pharmacy.
Full-time students at UK receive unlimited medical visits, though the mandatory health fee. If you are not a full-time student, you can view your availability for the services provided at the UHS using the following link: https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/university-health-service/student-health.
In addition to the resources offered at the University Health Service, presentations are also offered by the PAWS (Promoting and Achieving Wellness for Students) health education team. These presentations cover various topics relating to sexual health, ranging from trivia games covering basic sexual and reproductive anatomy to motivating discussions about how to decide when pregnancy is right for you.
Other organizations, such as a group of peer health educators known as the UK Sexperts, allow students to become more involved in planning the presentations of sexual health through engaging events such as Safer Sex Week, HIV Awareness Days, and Safe Spring Break.
More information about how students can become involved with the UK Sexperts, can be found on the University of Kentucky’s campus involvement website, BBNvolved. This site can be found using the following link: https://uky.campuslabs.com/engage/.
Regardless of how you decide to take control of your sexual health, it is important to always take precautions, and the first step to doing that can be by informing yourself on the resources available on your university’s campus.