Communication and engagement with all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and parents, to inform them of available reproductive health services and how to access care with minimal delays or barriers will limit misinformation and disinformation and improve access to care. Students from different states, countries, and spiritual backgrounds, have received varying degrees of information regarding reproductive anatomy, menstruation hygiene and management, pregnancy, sexuality and gender, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive education on these topics by SHS.
Research has demonstrated the benefits of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education for adolescents and young adults. Due to the varied level of education students may receive prior to entering colleges, campus partners can play a key role in educating students in this area. A comprehensive program would include information on:
- Anatomy and body image
- Consent, healthy relationships, sexual pleasure
- Sexual abuse, cyber solicitation/bullying
- Healthy sexual development, sexual behavior and reproduction
- Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Abstinence and contraception
- Reproductive coercion, rights and responsibilities
- Fertility awareness, including effects of age, reproductive technologies and family diversity
An overarching goal is to promote sex-positive dialogues to foster a campus community of communication and acceptance.
Resources:
Sex 101: Topics in Sexual Health | DeCal Program
The Importance of Access to Comprehensive Sex Education | American Academy of Pediatrics
Training of Clinicians/Staff
Train clinicians/staff on all-options counseling annually and at onboarding.
- Bedsider Providers
- Telehealth for Reproductive Health Care | Reproductive Health Access Project
- Training Overview | Beyond the Pill
Education for Students
- Condom use as dual protection for contraception and prevention of STIs
- Menstrual health literacy
- Menstruation | Planned Parenthood
- The Menstrual Cycle: Menstruation, Ovulation, and How Pregnancy Occurs | ACOG
- Sexual and Reproductive Anatomy | Planned Parenthood
- Understanding normal vs not normal
- Use of mobile health (mHealth) products, such as use of mobile phones and other wireless technology in medical care and potential legal implications
- Effects of contraception on menstruation
- Address menstrual-related issues for all who menstruate
- Transmasculine and non-binary folx
- Menstrual barriers in academic settings/athletics
- Sanitation supplies in vending machines
- Contraception, including emergency contraception
- Contraceptive Pearl: Best Practices for Developing Contraception Patient Education | Reproductive Health Access Project
- Colleges | Beyond the Pill
- Your Birth Control Choices | Reproductive Health Access Project
- Contraception Options | The Reproductive Health Access Project
- Emergency Contraception: Which EC is Right for Me? | Reproductive Health Access Project
- ACHA Guidelines: Best Practices for Sexual Health Promotion and Clinical Care in College Health Settings
- STI prevention and treatment
- All-options counseling for patients with unintended pregnancy
