The Pierce College Student Health Center (SHC) held an in-person event on Feb. 28 to discuss safe sex practices.
Student Maria Mohammed said she understands the health risks involved in sexual activity, but other students might not.
“It’s very important to educate students about safe sex because a lot of people just don’t know about all the [sexually transmitted] diseases that there are,” Mohammed said. “[Safe sex means] to get educated about all different ways you can be safe.
Alexandra Alpuche said that it would be better to be proactive rather than regret a decision.
“People are having sex, so it’s better to be safe and cautious rather than catch something and cry about it,” Alpuche said. “Safe sex means safely building a family or having the opportunity to get a chance.”
Student Health Center intern Jacky Torres mentioned some options for sexual health insurance.
“There are a lot of services at the Student Health Center, but the main one is the [California Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) Program,” Torres said. “The Family PACT is essentially insurance that covers free testing for things like STDs and UTIs. You get Plan B, contraceptives and all that jazz.”
The SHC also offers other services including counseling, lab testing, health screenings and immunizations.
For more information about sexual health, students can contact the SHC at (818) 710-4270 if they have any questions.
