The Kit: Undergraduate Students Identifying and Mitigating Barriers to their Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs

Abstract

Abstract Background Many U.S. colleges and universities offer access to a healthcare center that provides sexual and reproductive health (SRH) resources, services, and products. The importance of health centers in college and university settings in reducing sexual health disparities in student populations cannot be stressed enough. This article evaluates a student-led, mutual-aid, grassroots health promotion strategy for students with limited access to healthcare services, supplies, and tools, via an anonymous and discrete distribution of SRH resources without charge. Methods In partnership with faculty, undergraduate students worked to address their SRH needs by providing and increasing access to comprehensive, evidence-based, and sex-positive resources. Referred to as The Kit, this student-led, grassroots health promotion program aimed to provide contraceptives, sexual health wellness products, and basic hygiene supplies to students in 2022–2023. This pilot study aimed to assess student-perceived availability and barriers to contraception and desired SRH services on campus, implement a low-cost and sex-positive intervention, and elucidate perceptions of the program's availability, use, and impact. Association rules mining identified associations between the types of SRH products that were requested in tandem by students. Results Our findings highlight students’ perception of access to services and resources and the implementation of an anonymous and discreet SRH supplies distribution strategy to meet the articulated needs of undergraduate students. Students reported cost, privacy, and confidentiality as significant barriers to acquiring sexual health products and supplies. The Kit was made available for one academic year and has gained student popularity and growth in awareness of what it provides. Survey data reveals that before the implementation of The Kit, 42% of students reported contraceptives being available on campus, and one-year post-intervention, that number grew to 71%. Similar observations were made for student access to sexual health education (29% and 72% report access, respectively) and services (35% and 72% report access, respectively) pre-and post-intervention. Conclusion A student-led SRH supply and resource delivery strategy may immediately reduce SRH inequities and decrease barriers to contraceptive use for students with limited access to on-site SRH product availability.