Georgia College encourages safe sex

The GACC’s goal is to make the United States sexually healthy. Members of the GACC give out 1 million Trojan condoms on college campuses throughout the year and now Georgia College is doing its part to help with the program’s goal by being categorized as a SafeSite.

Georgia College has many responsibilities as a condom distribution site. Along with passing out condoms, Georgia College is responsible for educating peers and promoting condom use on campus.

Five-hundred Trojan condoms were given to Georgia College last semester with 500 more arriving before Valentine’s Day.

Condom distribution this semester kicked off with an event on Feb. 2.

Petonic along with other members of Peers Advocating Wellness Successfully gave out condoms by Arts & Sciences Fountain. The theme was “The Super Bowl of Bowl” to tie in with the upcoming Super Bowl game.

P.A.W.S. members wore referees shirts and had whistles around their necks to stay in accordance with the theme.

At the event, P.A.W.S. members described why they think this is worthwhile endeavor.

“It’s college, people are going to have sex, so it’s a good opportunity to provide way to do that safely,” said senior biology major Kirsten Canal.

Though members of P.A.W.S. are interested in giving out condoms to help prevent unsafe sex, students around the event shied away from the tent when they discovered what the free items were that day.

Students approached the tent at the fountain thinking that the free items were candy. When they found out the bags included condoms they walked away empty handed. A student even went as far as to hand back a bag with condoms in it to P.A.W.S. members. Less than 10 students stopped by the tent in an hour.

Some students were supportive of the event to raise awareness and support of condom use on campus.

“I think it’s a really good event because awareness is important,” said senior business management major Tanner Forehand.

Embarrassment may be the cause for the lack of traffic at the event, but soon Health Services may be the only place to obtain condoms in Milledgeville without having to ask for them.

Stores in the community are now locking up their condoms behind counters. Stores, such as Walmart and CVS, have put condoms behind their counters to slow down on theft.

Petonic disagrees with this practice. She believes that this equates condoms with cigarettes and other things that are considered undesirable in our society.

Condoms may still be purchased without asking a cashier for them at Walgreens, K-Mart and Kroger.

Health Services also offers free condoms to students in the lobby. Another condom distribution event can be expected around Valentine’s Day and Spring Break.