Trojan “Safer Sex” Protection Program Launches this Fall
by: Donal Buckley
Entering the ribbon-cutting event for the Trojan “Safer Sex” Protection Program with Usher’s “DJ’s Got Us Falling in Love” playing on full blast made one thing clear to me: RHA wants safe sex to be seamless, accessible, and destigmatized. On April 27, the Residential Housing Association opened its doors for students to celebrate their new initiative: wall-mounted condom installations in every CSC lobby for all 16 of USC’s housing spaces.
The event, held in a room right under the USC Village Freeberg Bridge, encouraged students to learn more about the program while taking home Trader Joe’s-inspired tote bags filled with free condoms, lube, stress balls, and more wellness-related goodies. The event’s tagline, fittingly enough, was “let’s protect Trojans with Trojans.”
Yhanellie Mendoza, VP of Wellness & Leadership, is a senior at USC and has worked at the RHA for the last two and a half years.
“My priority this year has been trying to start these conversations about safer sex,” she said. “And hopefully this is one way to do it.”
Before, free condoms were available in a limited capacity at certain residential spaces. This initiative, starting in the fall semester, ensures all USC students living in undergraduate housing have easy access to safer sex materials. Mendoza mentioned potential plans for graduate and off-campus housing to receive the same treatment as well.
Mendoza also noted that conversations surrounding safe sex can be awkward and uncomfortable, but this initiative aims to combat that. “A lot of us partake in sexual activity,” she said. “And we just want to make sure it’s as safe as possible. We want people to use contraceptives to prevent STDs, but also to be safe in general.” For college students in particular, this event could not have been more relevant.
As the school year comes to a close, Mendoza said that RHA wanted to go out with a “big bang” for this event. “We really try to advocate for USC housing needs, and we are all required to live in housing, so it’s really cool to be able to be a part of that experience and receive the resources we are trying to provide.”
Alongside providing contraceptives, USC Student Health has a comprehensive website highlighting services that encourage safer sex, which include free STI testing, pregnancy testing, vaccinations, and more. Additionally, the website features more information on events, such as the annual Sex Week in October.
