“I personally think people my age should just practice abstinence.”
Many college students would say this is a rather bold claim coming from a college sophomore.
However, Caroline Keating insists: “I don’t think you should have sex before you are married, and that’s a huge Catholic stand point. I don’t agree with abortion; I don’t think you should ever take someone’s life.”
She said these reasons led her to the conclusion that a Planned Parenthood in Bowling Green is not essential.
Keating, born and raised in Cincinnati and a student at the University, attributes many of her views concerning sexual activity to her close ties with religion. She attended high school at St. Ursula Academy — an all-girl, private Catholic school.
Keating’s hopes are not reflected in today’s society, according to an article issued by Infection Control Today — an online source dedicated to increasing awareness about the spread of infection. A survey of college students living away from home reported more than half, 56 percent, have been sexually active while at college. Of these, a majority, 73 percent, reported having unprotected sex, increasing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
University students need a confidential haven where appropriate safe-guards and services that will protect the individual’s sexual health are available, said Bren Blaine, executive director of Planned Parenthood of Northwest Ohio.
“Anyone can come in without parental permission and get services,” Blaine said. “I know after we left Bowling Green, that was a huge problem for high school students.”
Each year, Planned Parenthood-affiliated health centers nationwide provide high-quality, affordable reproductive health care and sexual health information to nearly five million women, men and teens, states its Web site.
Most affiliates offer confidential family planning, birth control, pregnancy testing, gynecological care, emergency contraception, HIV testing and abortions. Perhaps most importantly, Planned Parenthood attempts to provide all services at the lowest possible cost and accepts private insurance.
According to the ICT Web site, one in five college students knows someone who has contracted an STD while attending college, 68 percent of those students who have had unprotected sex while in college do not believe they are at risk for contracting an STD. In fact, almost half of all sexually active students, 49 percent, have never been tested for one.
“To me, birth control, parenting and everything are just a part of life,” Blaine says. “I don’t think anyone should be embarrassed for having care.”
Toledo is home to the closest Planned Parenthood affiliate, yet this may be a burden to University students who do not own a car on campus. A few years ago, the Bowling Green affiliate was forced to shut down due to a lack of patrons coming in for services, according to Blaine.
“I went to Planned Parenthood when I first started taking birth control in high school,” says Michael Carriaga, a freshman. “I found it pretty odd that there wasn’t one here when I came.”
In Carriaga’s hometown of Carlsbad, N.M., teenage pregnancy is a problem. There is a day-care on her high school’s campus for the students to bring their babies to school. Carriaga has two aunts who received abortions through Planned Parenthood before they were married.
“Parents [in Carlsbad] are very hush-hush about birth control and wouldn’t talk to their kids about it,” Carriaga said. “It’s like a rebellion thing; their parents stick their head in the sand and think their kids will never do those things and that’s when they do it more.”
Carriaga said the Planned Parenthood in Carlsbad was the only place teenagers could go to get contraceptives without their parents being aware of it.
“It’s the same way in BG,” she said. “Students need somewhere they can go that’s completely confidential and cheap.”
On the other hand, it can be argued that the Student Health Center on campus provides most of the same services as Planned Parenthood and it is within walking distance for all University students.
“We provide complete women’s health services,” said Amy Dugan, a nurse practitioner at the University Student Health Center. “I feel we provide as many, if not more services, than a Planned Parenthood would have available.” The Health Center doctors do not perform abortions; however, they do give referrals to clinics in Cleveland and Toledo, Dugan said.
“If students aren’t comfortable going to the Health Center, then they shouldn’t be participating in this stuff anyway,” Keating said. “I think if people are going to take the risk to be sexually active, they should know beforehand where they need to go if they need help.”
“I have heard that students have had trouble getting appointments at the Health Center,” Blaine said. “There would not be that issue at a Planned Parenthood, we make certain of that.”
Though Carriaga said she supports a Planned Parenthood in Bowling Green, she also said the Health Center does a “pretty good job with addressing woman issues.”
“From experience, I know they will take you back into the room and talk to you in a confidential setting,” she said. “Let’s say you went to the Health Center to get the morning-after pill. It would just say ‘Health Center’ on your bursar bill.”
Dugan said she understands students’ concern regarding confidentiality at the Health Center. She pointed out that since the Health Center is located on campus, other students could see the individuals that are entering.
“As far as the staff goes, we go out of our way to make it’s very confidential for the student,” Dugan said. “Basically, if anyone has a specific concern, if they talk to the provider before hand, special accommodations could be made.”
“When you go to the Health Center, you could be going just because you’re sick, not because you think you might be pregnant or may have an STD,” Carriaga said. “It’s not like they announce your name in the waiting room, ‘So and so for an abortion, please come back.'”
The Health Center does not have a sliding-scale for the price of contraceptives like many Planned Parenthoods provide. In other words, Planned Parenthood’s cost of contraceptives will reflect the specific area’s average income. In spite of this, according to Dugan, the Health Center has recently started to accept private and billing insurance for all visits.