Avery Adelini is a biological sciences freshman and political opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
In 2022, while millions of Americans were losing their rights to reproductive autonomy, Cal Poly was working to expand its reproductive services to what we have today.
With access to services such as contraception consultations, pregnancy testing, pregnancy options consultations, emergency contraception, medical abortion services and free condoms, students at Cal Poly are enjoying resources that are shrinking in other parts of the United States.
Accessible and comprehensive reproductive healthcare is fundamental not only to personal freedom but also to basic health and preventative medical care. Without it, these basic rights become conditional. Students should learn to appreciate healthcare that respects their bodily autonomy, and leave college with the ability to recognize when they need to make demands about their medical needs without restriction.
Frankly, restrictions on reproductive treatment are harmful. First and foremost, they delay or deny necessary, potentially life-saving healthcare. But we don’t talk enough about how restrictions also create uninformed populations who are unable to navigate necessary care.
Without access to resources and the space to figure out receiving care, many college students may avoid going to the doctor at all; delaying pregnancy tests, contraception or treatment for complications, which in turn can increase the risk of unintended pregnancies and untreated, preventable health issues. The treatment being provided at Cal Poly lets students develop trust in their doctors and seek care early.
Kara Samaniego, former Assistant Director of Wellbeing and a professor of psychology, emphasized the importance of having accessible sexual healthcare on college campuses.
“Students are at this age where you’re really coming into yourselves and navigating healthcare for the first time in a lot of places,” Samaniego said. “More broadly, learning how to navigate somebody’s own healthcare and feeling like you have a sense of autonomy and ownership of your body and the agency to speak up is fundamentally important to learn now at this age. It’s going to set healthy habits for the rest of your engagement in the healthcare system.”
Too often, sexual health is a taboo subject, which can make it difficult for students to navigate this important facet of their well-being. Fortunately, the Campus Health Center fully takes into account how scary it can be to receive reproductive care.
Not only is the reproductive care offered on campus accessible and thorough, but it’s also extremely affordable. Students can expect to pay $44-$88 for a medication abortion, according to the Campus Health and Wellbeing website. Outside of Cal Poly, this cost could be more than ten times this amount. The average cost for the pill through Planned Parenthood, for example, is around $580. For many students, this cost gap determines whether or not they can receive care at all.
The accessibility and affordability of these services aren’t just unique to Cal Poly. In fact, every public school in the state is mandated by California Senate Bill No. 24 to provide its students access to a medical abortion. The decision to place these services on college campuses is intentional. Young adults shouldn’t have restrictions on their healthcare, especially not in the realm of reproductive treatment.
As of right now, California, New York and Massachusetts are the only states with mandated reproductive care in colleges. Everywhere else, however, students facing reproductive health concerns are forced to search for outside options at expensive clinics and an intimidating system that many will navigate completely independently. This lack of care leaves young adults stranded and unwilling to access services, which can lead to adverse health effects and a general inability to seek help.
We are incredibly lucky to receive access to reproductive care at Cal Poly without a second thought.
College is a time to figure out who you are. When reproductive healthcare is accessible rather than restricted, students are able to explore themselves and their relationships with confidence and autonomy.
Young adults at Cal Poly are being provided care that allows them to breathe and grow into their identities. Without this care, there is no meaningful opportunity to exercise true autonomy, and their futures are shaped by restriction rather than choice. Having that choice lets individuals define themselves on their own terms and live comfortably and confidently.
“This is a time where people are exploring relationships more intimately and differently,” Samaniego said. “They’re exploring their own identity and what they like and don’t like and what makes them safe and comfortable. Having the tools to navigate that is so important.”
Unrestricted healthcare systems support a population that is unafraid to seek proficient treatment when they need it. Reproductive care implementation on California college campuses is creating a generation of adults who can think critically about the services being provided to them and are competent in navigating tricky topics within the medical system.
Students attending public universities within California aren’t just enjoying incredible access and shockingly reduced costs, but also learning skills in autonomy and self-advocacy.
In a post-Roe v. Wade world, the services available at Cal Poly aren’t just convenient; they’re necessary. Restricted healthcare access is an attack on people who are at their most vulnerable. Reproductive and abortion care on campus are rights that allow an environment of acceptance and safety that the student body can rely on.