In honor of National Condom Week, we’re celebrating Condoms to Colleges, a student-led initiative that some of our awesome PPGen advocates started last fall semester.
PPGen is a movement of student leaders who organize in their communities to fight for sexual and reproductive freedom for their generation.
With over 300 chapters and programs at colleges across the country — 54 of which are at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — these student leaders work hard to educate others about sexual health, advocate for reproductive rights, and make their campus communities safer and healthier. If you’re a college student and want to join PPGen, find your local Planned Parenthood affiliate at the bottom of this page and get in touch for information about its chapters.
“I believe that condom access is even more important right now during COVID-19. As we mask up, we are reminded to keep ourselves and others safe. The same practices need to be held with practicing safe sex. We're committed to making condom access easy and safe — we even have a QR code that lets people get condoms delivered right to the dorms.”
Vi Schap, University of Hawaii Manoa
During last year’s National Condom Week, several PPGen student leaders said students faced challenges in accessing condoms at their schools. So, Planned Parenthood’s national office reached out to corporate allies at ONE Condoms, b condoms, and Hims & Hers. These companies stepped up to the plate and generously donated nearly 20,000 condoms to Planned Parenthood health centers.
Students in a pilot group of eight PPGen chapters across the country — five of which are HBCUs — distributed these condoms to others on their campuses and across their communities. Each condom also included information about local Planned Parenthood health centers, as well as our free chat/text program, where you can talk with live health educators to get confidental answers to your sexual health questions.
"It’s empowering and heartfelt knowing that there is a Black-owned contraceptive brand that cares about the sexual well-being of young Black college students. B-condoms genuinely cares about the sexual safety of young and Black people during times when reproductive rights are being challenged. "
Paige Hawkins, President at Clark Atlanta University PPGEN
This is community activism and IRL sex ed, and we love to see it! Condoms to Colleges increases access to condoms through grassroots activism and student-to-student distribution and provides information about safer sex and resources to help students stay healthy. The need for condom access is REAL —young people deserve affordable health care, sex education, and other tools to live their best and healthiest lives.
“We’re grateful for the investment from these companies — it’s necessary to meet the urgent needs of young people. But the work cannot end there. Young people are demanding that those in power create healthier, safer campuses and work with community leaders to find long-term solutions to problems like high rates of STIs. This includes providing free condoms in easily accessible places on campus, providing adequate sexual health education, and supporting student organizations that have been meeting these needs prior to instutitionalized support.”
Monica Massamba, Black organizing program manager, speaking about the next phase of the work.
To the leaders, innovators, and changemakers out there: THANK YOU. Thank you for seeing a problem, taking action, and engaging with your community to keep people safer and healthier. Thank you for being the change we need, and inspiring others to get involved.
Follow @PPGenAction on Instagram for updates on free condoms, sex education, and continued advocacy on campus.
Tags: Planned Parenthood Generation, condoms, safer sex, #CondomWeek, College_Students